Changes to the east end of Baker Street nearly complete
By Timothy Schafer
The streetscape around the east end of Baker Street is starting to take shape.
The city just approved the move of a significant piece of artwork — and refinishing — to the I.O.D.E. Park as it nears completion, while another project is nearly at an end.
Redevelopment of the city’s only downtown park is expected to be completed by end of July — according to the city’s Strategic Plan — with the city’s first downtown public washroom set to flush for the first time in one week.
In addition, the city just passed final reading and adoption of a bylaw to allow the first pay station — or kiosk — in the downtown, with the unit to be placed on the corner of Baker and Hall streets, just down from the park, to service the currently unmetered two-block portion of Hall Street.
The cost for the pay station is around $14,000, but with 38 stalls in the two blocks of Hall Street — and the average revenue of a parking stall at $1,300 per year — a “conservative estimate” by city staff of new revenue for 2017 is $12,000, and $25,000 for a full year.
There will have to be some more work done to the sculpture before it can be installed at its new location, however. The Dancing by Myself sculpture is currently situated at the corner of Nelson’s Touchstone Museum on Ward Street. Since both front and back of the sculpture will be visible in the new park location, the artist has agreed to extend the mosaic design on the front of the artwork to the back at a cost of $1,200 from the city’s Public Art Reserve Fund.
“As the back of the piece is currently plain steel, the view from this angle would be unremarkable to those coming down the stairs of in IODE Park,” read a report to city council.
Council approved the amount of $1,200 be paid from the city’s Public Art Reserve Fund to Winlaw sculptor Rabi’a to make design changes to the Dancing by Myself sculpture as agreed with the cultural development officer on July 12, prior to installation of the artwork in its new location at the I.O.D.E. Park this summer.
The expense will be charged to the city’s Public Art Reserve Fund in accordance with council policy. The current reserve fund balance is between $13,000 and $14,000.
The new kiosk regulations will be posted on a sign in the Hall Street location, included in Hall Street Project literature, and posted on the city’s Facebook page and its website.
Although there will still be plenty of places to pay parking stall fees with coins, people will be able to purchase parking by using a credit card, debit card or cellular phone at the new pay station.
The amended bylaw will be posted to the city’s website.
