Mall concept a ‘non-starter,’ NOTL chamber says

The word “mall” is a four-letter word to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce in reference to a proposal by town council that all or part of Queen Street be for pedestrians only.

“Let’s not call this a mall,” Janice Thomson, president of the chamber of commerce, told council Monday. She was responding to a motion last month at council that discussions be held with business owners on the street, residents and the chamber about the feasibility of the concept.

“Niagara-on-the-Lake has the best of both worlds – we have the Outlet Collection at Niagara with over 100 name-brand shops – now that’s a mall,” she said. “As well, we have our delightful shopping district set within the heritage district.”

Thomson said the chamber sent a survey to members on Queen Street for their input on the closure of the street to vehicle traffic. She said initial feedback has been mixed with some merchants completely opposed and others supporting full-time pedestrian-only access.

The issue of establishing a “mall” with set hours should not be something that should be dictated by the town, Thomson stressed, noting that the Queen Street merchants pay high property taxes and rent.

“The merchants who choose to locate in the heritage district ... have unique selling propositions, merchandise that appeals to our visitor base – and they do not wish to have set hours and further limitations on how they can operate their business,” she said.

She said there were also concerns about the possibility of having to rent sidewalk space and the street closure could turn the area into strictly a shopping destination for tourists, losing its “local appeal.”

Thomson said annual events held in the heritage district that involve temporary closures of Queen Street such as the Icewine Festival and the Peach Celebration are a source of pride for local businesses. She said because of the success of these events, the chamber is looking into expanding its programming to include a Christmas market, but added that these events result in traffic being rerouted onto Johnson and Prideaux streets.

Coun. John Wiens said that while the special events have been successful, he is not convinced a full-time closure of Queen Street to vehicles would be a positive experience for merchants or residents in the area. He called for the discussion process to be slow and well-thought out.

Coun. Betty Disero said her research to date on the concept shows that over the past few decades, about 85 per cent of pedestrian malls have failed in various municipalities. She said they are often established in downtown areas due to business being lost to suburban malls.

“We don’t have that problem here,” she said.

A motion that further discussions about the “pedestrian-friendly item” be referred to the chamber of commerce narrowly passed by a 4-3 margin. Councillors also requested that the chamber report back to them in six months.

Thomson said the chamber’s survey of Queen Street merchants would be expanded to include all businesses in the heritage district and feedback would also be sought from visitors.

“The chamber is open and willing to have discussions,” said Thomson, (but) “the mall concept is a nonstarter.”