It’s been over a week now since the crowded public hearing at city council, which heard community debate regarding the proposed Revelstoke Crossing, was held on September 29.
The meeting was specifically to gather from the public whether they supported adding grocery and pharmacy uses to a comprehensive development zone on the vacant property at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway.
The meeting went for over two hours and heard much more than this simple question. Council also received 33 written submissions regarding the proposal — 24 were against, eight for and one neutral. Since then, the Vancouver-based developer Hall Pacific has had a chance to mull over the divided opinions of the community.
These included resident Rob Lamont’s thoughts. “We would squander our community’s character and capital,” he said. “We have a wonderful community the way it is, we welcome more people to come and compete with us on a fair and equal basis but not as this proposal is.”
Malcolm Bott, who owns Universal Footwear in Revelstoke, said he didn’t see the development as a good fit. “I see better things [that could] happen. I just don’t see it quite catering to what the highway person wants. I see it as a retail project, not a highway project.”
And Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce’s Judy Goodman, who presented several viewpoints expressed by members, stated that 15% to 30% of some chamber members’ business came from highway traffic. “And that business would not come downtown if they could get what they need from the highway,” she said.
Hall Pacific development manager Mark Spaull said while many of those at the meeting were Revelstoke business owners unsure about the proposal, he believes there is a silent majority in the community in favour of it.
“This is evident through the Revelstoke Review poll, which showed a 2-1 survey result in favour of the development (65 votes said yes while 33 votes said no), as well as the Revelstoke Retail Strategy Report, which identifies a number of objectives for ensuring that shopping and related amenities are created to enhance the experience of tourists and further Revelstoke’s competitive position within the alpine resort community,” he said.
Hall Pacific proclaims the benefits to Revelstoke, through the development of this shopping mall, include $20 million of investment into the community, 200 jobs during construction and a following 200 permanent jobs, an additional $500,000 annual tax revenue plus more shopping options for locals and tenant opportunities for the locally business-minded.
The development is a lucrative opportunity to tap into the large numbers of traffic passing by the outskirts of town, with Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure traffic count data that showing up to 10,000 vehicles pass through Revelstoke each day without stopping.
(A B.C. Ministry of Transportation report puts the annual average daily available here traffic at 8,213 per day and the summer average daily traffic at 13,928.)
“The strategic location of the development would allow it to tap into the 3.8 to 5.2 million people travelling the Trans-Canada Highway through Revelstoke per year and millions of dollars of additional revenue,” Spaull said.
Spaull said the development is in line with Revelstoke’s Official Community Plan and would enhance the prominent location on the highway and offer an attractive and welcoming presence at the gateway to Revelstoke.
“Moreover, a huge opportunity exists to utilize this development as a marketing outlet for tourist attractions in the community,” Spaull said. “Hall Pacific has had preliminary conversations with both the city and Chamber of Commerce indicating our willingness to work together to implement marketing mechanisms on-site that could effectively engage and influence site visitors to experience tourist attractions in the greater community.”
Any concerns about the potential design of Revelstoke Crossing to avoid it looking like a cookie cutter highway-shopping complex is also are up for discussion.
“If the project is to move forward to the development permit stage, Hall Pacific will be working diligently with the City of Revelstoke’s planning staff to firm up design elements and ensure a form and character that is representative of the community,” Spaull said.
A third reading of the proposed zoning amendment is the next part of this process, and Hall Pacific again will be present.
“Hall Pacific is confident that council has a firm understanding of the cumulative benefits that can be derived from this development, both economically and as a further step towards elevating the community’s position within the very competitive alpine resort industry,” Spaull said.
Previous: Read earlier stories on the Revelstoke Crossing proposal here.
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