NANAIMO – The announcement of five proposed capital projects underscore a draft Strategic Plan Update received by Council during the June 27 Committee of the Whole meeting. Selected from a list containing 46 possibilities, the following five projects were identified.
- Port Drive/South Downtown Waterfront
- Beban Park Facilities Redevelopment /Master Plan
- Sports and Entertainment Centre
- Waterfront Walkway
- Georgia Avenue pedestrian/cycling bridge over the Chase River
- Also identified are two initiatives supporting Affordable Housing and Property Acquisition.
These form part of a Strategic Plan Update which Council began earlier this year using the 2012-2015 Strategic Plan as a foundation. The original vision and four community values (Economic Health, Environmental Responsibility, Social Equity and Cultural Vitality) contained in the 2012-2015 plan were retained while a fifth value, Active Lifestyle, was added. Also added were five defined Council priority areas: Phased Development of the South Downtown Waterfront; Recreation, Culture, Sports and Tourism; Public Safety; Governance Renewal and; Community Wellness.
Key Points
- As part of the finalization and formal adoption of the Strategic Plan Update, Council has directed staff to organize an eTown Hall event allowing the public the opportunity to provide comments.
The five capital projects chosen by Council are supported by existing reports, neighbourhood plans and – in some cases – completed community engagement. - The City’s previous Strategic Plan expired at the end of 2015. By building on the foundation and public input contained in the 2012-2015 document, the updated draft plan received on June 27 is intended to guide Council’s strategic decision-making through the remainder of their term (2016-2018).
