Prince Rupert residents had plenty to say in a recent survey on downtown revitalization.
The City says a total of 205 people responded during the consultation process on everything from why they go downtown, how they get there, whether they’d live there, and what they’d like to see for new shops.
Groceries, banking, and retail shopping were identified as the primary reasons people go downtown, with 78 percent of people driving a vehicle to get those things done. Drivers were split right down the middle about whether parking was easy to find while a third of respondents said they wouldn’t walk more than a block to reach their destination from a parking spot.
Clothing, drive-thru/fast food outlets, shoes, and sports stores were frequently mentioned by respondents as what they’d like to see for new outlets downtown.
Just over half of those who responded said they would live in Cow Bay while 63 percent said they would not choose to live downtown or on 2nd or 3rd Avenue West.
As for what could be improved, green spaces, street lighting, more seating, and weather shelters were frequently mentioned.
The City says feedback will be used by council, the Redesign Rupert board, the Chamber of Commerce, and Community Futures to inform future downtown policy.
A download of the survey report is available here.
