SUMMERSIDE COUNCIL CAN’T FORGET DOWNTOWN

Summerside city council must not forget about the situation downtown. We have many empty business locations, including limited employment options.

As we speak, Summerside city council has committed to the Pope Road/Central Street project, our continued ECO Park project and a new fire services facility.

These are all well thought out projects, which will increase employment in the construction industry.

Mayor Basil Stewart recently made comments about thinking outside the box, as it relates to a new fire services. Ideas such as a women’s centre and community meeting rooms are but a couple of options.

There are many more options to be looked at. The point is, this is innovative thinking, which is good for Summerside. Make these projects a priority first, then move on to other issues.

The east-west Connect project, on the books for 18 years, has come up again. This is not the time to focus on such a major project, at an approximate cost of $4.4 million, when these above issues are not completed.

An east-west connect from Water Street East to Pope Road, in my opinion, would hurt the downtown area, in terms of where people would shop and do business. A new fire services, reconstructed where the present one is, would certainly generate growth and rejuvenate the downtown area.

Depending on what spaces are added to the new fire services, it could become a big tourist attraction. These three priorities will promote business and traffic concerns.

We have a jewel project with our present boardwalk, which is a definite attraction to many people and tourist alike.

I personally would like to see all these projects completed in order, one at a time.

It’s not good management or vision to have multiple big projects going at one time. I cannot see any residents’ complaints about the Pope Road/Central Street project or a new fire services multifaceted complex at this time. I hope I am right.

The residents deserve these much-needed projects to be completed in a timely fashion.

Having projects on the books for years is not good for anyone.

David Griffin, Summerside