Christine Bennett points to the B.C. Rail-owned property on the west corner of Cleveland and Buckley avenues.
It's an eyesore for those coming into town, she tells District of Squamish planner Elaine Naisby. Squamish's raised landscaping on the other side of the intersection is out of sight as people drive downtown, Bennett noted, and people are left to stare at a blank lot.
Bennett, along with a hall full of Squamish residents, packed the Garibaldi Room at the Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Co. on Monday (May 13). They gathered to take part in the district's first brainstorming workshop on how to transform Squamish's commercial core.
The Downtown Transformation Initiative is not another plan that will sit on a municipal shelf and collect dust, district planner Sarah McJannet told the crowd. The process will generate a set of short- and long-term actions, she said.
It will involve a lot of outreach, Mayor Rob Kirkham said. In the first phase of the initiative, municipal staff want to hear from citizens about what they want to see downtown, he said.
For this project to be successful, it needs to be your plan, he said.
The district will schedule a series of public webinars featuring informational videos by branding and product development experts Destination Development International (DDI). It's just one of the many ways district officials will reach out to residents, Kirkham said, noting the municipality also plans to use social media.
After the video and a musical interlude by Dean Reorda on Monday, attendants left notes regarding three areas of interest quick wins, clustering and critical mass and where it should be focused and public space.
Much of the discussion alluded to downtown stores' early closing hours. There was a cheer from the crowd when DDI president Roger Brooks said on the video that downtowns need to run like malls, with shops open past 6 p.m.
Idea boards were covered in suggestions such as building a water park, open-air movie nights, more landscaping and better signage.
No one knows about downtown, Squamish resident Peter Thompson said of tourists travelling along Highway 99. There is so much potential for Squamish.
To learn more about the initiative and get involved visit www.squamish.ca. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hastag #heartofsquamish.
Watch the beginning of the Destination Development International (DDI) video on improving downtown areas -
