The need to tackle the ongoing issue of unused and unsightly commercial spaces was one of the messages Jim Parsons, the association’s chairman, delivered during an address to the Rotary Club of Corner Brook Thursday.
Parsons discussed a number of initiatives to help revitalize the downtown, including partnerships that would see the development of pocket parks and green spaces, and improving the facades of existing businesses.
One thing the association wants to establish is a registry of the empty and rundown properties scattered throughout the downtown core. The database is being compiled, said Parsons, although it has been difficult to complete because some businesses are not on the real estate market.
The idea is to pair the list with municipal regulations that would serve as an incentive for property owners to either sell or develop.
“We are hoping to see a regulatory piece that would give this teeth,” said Parsons. “It’s never going to solve the problem completely, but it could definitely help.”
The association’s vision of the registry would see property owners required by law to publicly list their properties with the City of Corner Brook within a specified time of them being vacated. The city would then charge a fee to have the properties inspected regularly to ensure there are no safety hazards as a result of them being unused.
Parsons said the plan could involve offering tax breaks to property owners to encourage them to develop rather than sit on their properties.
Making the list publicly available would also allow potential investors the chance to easily find out which properties are available to them to consider for possible development.
Having vacant properties brings down the property values of the businesses that are operating in the area and does little to boost consumer or investor confidence in those areas, said Parsons.
“Why would you want to go down and shop somewhere if there are only a couple of stores there?” he asked. “We need to have more stores and services in the smaller area.”
Parsons said the idea of a public registry of vacant buildings would not be unique to Corner Brook, as it is done in many other jurisdictions. He added there is power within current municipal regulations to do it, and the association is working with the city to address the problem.
The need to tackle the ongoing issue of unused and unsightly commercial spaces was one of the messages Jim Parsons, the association’s chairman, delivered during an address to the Rotary Club of Corner Brook Thursday.
Parsons discussed a number of initiatives to help revitalize the downtown, including partnerships that would see the development of pocket parks and green spaces, and improving the facades of existing businesses.
One thing the association wants to establish is a registry of the empty and rundown properties scattered throughout the downtown core. The database is being compiled, said Parsons, although it has been difficult to complete because some businesses are not on the real estate market.
The idea is to pair the list with municipal regulations that would serve as an incentive for property owners to either sell or develop.
“We are hoping to see a regulatory piece that would give this teeth,” said Parsons. “It’s never going to solve the problem completely, but it could definitely help.”
The association’s vision of the registry would see property owners required by law to publicly list their properties with the City of Corner Brook within a specified time of them being vacated. The city would then charge a fee to have the properties inspected regularly to ensure there are no safety hazards as a result of them being unused.
Parsons said the plan could involve offering tax breaks to property owners to encourage them to develop rather than sit on their properties.
Making the list publicly available would also allow potential investors the chance to easily find out which properties are available to them to consider for possible development.
Having vacant properties brings down the property values of the businesses that are operating in the area and does little to boost consumer or investor confidence in those areas, said Parsons.
“Why would you want to go down and shop somewhere if there are only a couple of stores there?” he asked. “We need to have more stores and services in the smaller area.”
Parsons said the idea of a public registry of vacant buildings would not be unique to Corner Brook, as it is done in many other jurisdictions. He added there is power within current municipal regulations to do it, and the association is working with the city to address the problem.
