The Executive Director of the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association is glad to see the city’s extended patio program return next summer.

Carl DeSantis says downtown businesses appreciate the support from city council after it voted to allow these temporary outdoor patios until October 31 of next year.

“The patio program that we saw last summer, it was a quick response to the pandemic to try and and support businesses. It was overwhelmingly positive. Everybody wants this to continue so we went to council recommending that they support the program for next year and they did that.”

“Survival of our businesses and services is dependent on community collaboration, political will, and the introduction of creative solutions that are going to reigniting economic activity downtown,” DeSantis said. “You know there’s a lot of conversations that happened but we can look forward to the extended patio program continuing.”

In all, the city says 13 businesses expanded patios this past summer, noting if uptake is the same next year it will cost $195,000. The city will provide up to $200,000 for the program through the COVID-19 Safe Restart Grant for Local Governments, with the average cost of installing let-down ramps on sidewalks coming in at $15,000 to each business.

“If we have sufficient interest that exceeds $200,000 next year, I don’t think we will right away, but if we did, the city would be open to reconsidering approving additional funds for the program,” DeSantis said.

Temporary Downtown Block Closures

DeSantis also tells NL News he is looking forward to rotating block closures which are set to happen on Victoria Street on some Friday’s and Saturday’s next summer.

“We’ve done something similar in the past. We’ve done this for shorter periods of time for block parties and for basketball tournaments, and so its an extension of that philosophy where we created gathering spaces that are safe and comfortable for people to come down and enjoy all things we have to offer downtown,” he said.

“Victoria Street will transform into a plaza environment which would be programmed with various activities including entertainment, sporting activities perhaps and we’re looking forward to having retail businesses capitalize occupying space on the street.”

Permanent Downtown Pedestrian Plaza

City council voted against bringing in a permanent outdoor pedestrian plaza on 4th Avenue at this time because of the financial constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeSantis says he was ‘a little frustrated’ with that decision but understands why it was made.

“I mean there are a lot of factors, a lot of things have changed. COVID of course at the top of the list and funding allocations for other unanticipated and unexpected projects, so I do understand that part,” he said.

The Fourth Avenue pedestrian plaza was piloted for two weeks in the summer of 2018, and city staff say by all accounts it was a success.

“It’s about connectedness. It’s about getting people in touch with each other and having an opportunity to sit and chat and have a coffee and have people places,” Mayor Ken Christian told NL News in October last year. “Since [the trial] a number of properties have been earmarked for the potential of a pedestrian plaza and a number of businesses that would service the needs of that plaza.”

“So that’s key to getting a core in the downtown area that people want to be in and they want to come down and we want to extend the periods of time that people spend downtown.”

A permanent downtown pedestrian plaza is part of the city’s downtown plan which was adopted at the end of 2019. City staff say that project is expected to require significant money to fully implement it. They were proposing a study to be done in the first quarter of next year to come up with preliminary design and cost estimates.

That report would also identify potential funding sources to help reduce the cost to taxpayers.

“I’m absolutely optimistic that at some point we will revisit this with the city and once again get some momentum for a permanent installation,” DeSantis said.

“My understanding is that the city is looking forward to more community feedback, more collaboration perhaps through this rotating block closures that you’ll see next summer.”