The City of North Vancouver is seeking feedback on how to transform the Central Lonsdale area into a “great street.”
Kicking off Jan. 10 and running until the end of the month, residents, business owners, workers and visitors are encouraged to get involved with the revitalization project.
Throughout the month, and into February, the city will be holding various informational and conversational events about the North Van business hub, while an online survey portal is open for feedback until Jan. 31.
For those wishing to participate in person, there are drop-in sessions at the Civic Plaza (126 14th St. West) on Jan. 17 and 18. There’s also a community conversation at City Hall (141 14th St. West) on Feb. 20.
The initiative seeks to build on the strengths of Central Lonsdale as a dynamic and vibrant hub where residents can live, work, dine, shop and gather, according to a release.
The project area extends from the Upper Levels Highway to Victoria Park and from St. Georges Avenue to Chesterfield Avenue.
The project is currently in Phase 1 – “listen and learn” – which involves study of the area and community feedback for the future of the area. Phase 2 will follow in the spring, when staff will share the collected feedback and create preliminary directions for the project.
Those preliminary directions will be shared with the community during late spring and summer, during Phase 3. Then the plan will be finalized in late summer and fall, and presented to council for approval in Phase 4.
Council approved the first phases of the project in April 2024 as part of the city’s economic strategy. The Central Lonsdale great street project is intended to address challenges faced by the business community by enhancing economic spaces along the corridor while fostering the nearby health and life sciences cluster.
Also included are considerations to protect light-industrial areas as well, as council expressed concerns that increased residential development could force more commercial operators out of the municipality.
At the time, council approved $640,000 to fund the project as part of the 2024 capital plan, which brought the total budget to $1.64 million. The new funds would go toward recruiting expertise for the planning work to come, staff said.
Council already making moves to update Central Lonsdale business landscape
There’s already been some movement to improve commercial activity in the area, with council approving a grant in July to help establish a business improvement association for the corridor.
Also, council voted in November to ban new currency exchanges at street level.
Mayor Linda Buchanan and Couns. Angela Girard and Jessica McIlroy opposed the ban, arguing that council should instead regulate of those types of operations in the great street project. But the rest of council wanted to move more quickly to restrict currency exchanges, which they said have been popping up in great numbers and detracting from consumer activity.
In Friday’s release, Mayor Linda Buchanan said there are many reasons to love Central Lonsdale already.
“But soon there will be even more with a vision to revitalize this neighbourhood,” she said.
“The Lonsdale Great Street Project is our opportunity to reimagine Central Lonsdale as a more vibrant, inclusive, and people-focused place by fostering connection, enhancing livability, and creating the optimal environment for new and existing businesses,” Buchanan said.
“We want to hear from residents, business owners, workers, and visitors to ensure this transformation reflects the needs and aspirations of everyone,” she said. “This is an exciting time and together, we can create a destination that strengthens our city for generations to come.”
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