The group will operate with a five-year term that can be renewed by council. A virtual meeting is set for Tuesday to form an 11-member board, said Kim Smythe, chief executive of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce. Smythe has been managing the initiative to get the group established and will serve for a year as board chairman. The group aims to address everything from disruption and property crime caused by social issues such as addiction and homelessness a major concern for downtown businesses to developing a downtown brand and promoting Christmas shopping. Plans depend on the success of the fight against COVID-19, with Smythe hopeful that there will be some relaxation of protocols by fall.
“This amazing downtown is still there and the purpose of this money is to try and keep it safe and secure enough to survive to better days,” Krog said Friday. “There are some who are saying: ‘Well you shouldn’t be spending the money on security. You should be spending it on housing and treatment and those things.’ The simple answer is this: First, that is not our jurisdiction and we do not have the money to make a dent in that anyway. “In the meantime, all we can do is try and make it safe and secure for people on our streets in our downtown, the businesses that are trying to survive through the rigours of COVID, the public services that need to be available that people feel comfortable entering.”
“The board and management of the Chamber have made the decision to explore a return to downtown Nanaimo as part of the ongoing revitalization of the city centre. This decision opens many opportunities for the Chamber and its future activities,” Smythe said. The 700-member Chamber has been covering utility costs for a largely empty building, he said. A few staff members will work in the office, but because of the pandemic activities such as special meetings and rentals have dried up. Revenue from rentals is also gone as people move to online meetings. Smythe spends most of his working time at home.