NANAIMO – The four-wheeled results of ground-breaking cooperation among the city of Nanaimo, real estate developer The Molnar Group, and Nanaimo CarShare Cooperative are now parked at the recently opened Summerhill Place Apartments in Nanaimo.
The organizations worked closely together over the past few months to produce a creative, first-of-its-kind, mutually beneficial agreement. The arrangement works like this:
- The City of Nanaimo agreed to allow The Molnar Group to build fewer parking stalls than would otherwise be required at its Summerhill Place Apartments development if two shared vehicles were located at the 103-unit rental building.
- The Molnar Group signed an agreement with local non-profit Nanaimo CarShare Cooperative in which it committed to donate cash to the carshare service provider for the purchase of two vehicles.
- Completing the mutual cooperation circle, Nanaimo CarShare agreed to place two shared vehicles at Summerhill Place Apartments.
The arrangement falls in line with actions recommended in the City’s Transportation Master Plan.
“From our perspective, arrangements of this sort are potentially game-changing for carsharing in Nanaimo,” says Nanaimo CarShare Cooperative Board Chair John Peirce. “We know demand for carsharing service in Nanaimo far exceeds our capability to finance growth. By working with the city of Nanaimo and The Molnar Group, our biggest challenge—raising money to grow our fleet—was overcome.”
Two Nanaimo CarShare vehicles are now in-service at Summerhill Place Apartments. The Cooperative purchased a 2011 Kia Rondo from Nanaimo Toyota and a 2007 Toyota Corolla from a local private seller. “Both cars are in excellent shape and fun to drive,” Peirce says. “The Rondo offers amenities and roominess that are new to our fleet. We expect it will be very popular with our members.”
Though parked on Summerhill Place Apartments’ lot, the two cars are available to all NCS members, the same as every vehicle in the Co-op’s fleet. “The relatively dense population in the hospital district and the good transit service near NRGH and on Bowen Road should translate to healthy use of our two Summerhill cars,” Peirce predicts.
In addition to the new, two-car Summerhill hub, Nanaimo CarShare has cars at Country Club Centre, Port Place Mall, and the Prideaux Transit Exchange.
– For information go to www.nanaimocarshare.ca or phone 250-741-4141.