Victoria plans $1M downtown makeover

Downtown Victoria is getting a makeover with a nearly $1-million price tag.

City council has directed staff to come up with a revitalization plan for the downtown core, using revenue from recently increased parking fees.

"After the difficult years of the pandemic, a lot of tourists went away, we've lost a lot of workers due to remote and hybrid work," said Victoria councilor Jeremy Caradonna.

"So we need to attract people back downtown and that means making some bold investments."

The outline of the plan was unveiled by city staff on Thursday, with four main focuses.

• Improving downtown cleanliness by refreshing tired storefronts and washing away seagull droppings
• Beautifying the streets with more art displays and hanging flower baskets
• Creating more vibrancy by prioritizing events and entertainment, like buskers, food trucks and live music
• Focusing on downtown safety by increasing police and bylaw foot patrols

Downtown Victoria Business Association CEO Jeff Bray says the plan is a "wonderful change from, perhaps, how we found previous councils dealing with downtown issues."

A wave of property crime and vandalism has afflicted the core, contributing to a rise in vacancies.

The new plan calls for two extra police officers on foot patrol seven days a week, and more bylaw officers on foot too.

Belinda Wallenburger, owner of Baggins Shoes, is skeptical of the plan but calls it a step in the right direction.

"We'll see," she said. "The proof is in the pudding."

Much of the money behind the new downtown revitalization plan comes from increased rates and hours for parking.

The changes came into effect on May 1, and was intended to improve parking turnover and reduce the cost of property taxes for the city this year.

Some downtown workers, however, said the increased parking hours and rates are adding up – particularly for hospitality workers who have late shifts, when no public transportation is available.

The new parking fees are an increase of about 50 cents per hour, and paid parking hours were extended from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

"No one likes to pay more for parking but is it an actual impediment to people coming downtown? Maybe for a few," said Bray.

Council has committed to the funding on an annual basis, meaning a historic downtown riddled recently by crime concerns and failing businesses can expect an ongoing makeover.