Thunder Bay south and north core BIAs optimistic about 2017

Officials with the business improvement areas that represent Thunder Bay's two historic downtown cores say 2016 has been very successful, and they're optimistic about the new year.

That's despite some uncertainty surrounding the futures of Victoriaville Centre in the south core, and the proposed event centre in the north core.

• City of Thunder Bay taking feedback on Victoriaville Centre's future

• Feds say no to funding proposed event centre in its current form

"I think having some honest discussions about the future of Victoriaville mall has actually done the neighbourhood a really good service," said Shelby Ch'ng, the chair of the Fort William BIA.

City staff began taking feedback in 2016 from the public and nearby merchants about the mall's future — including the possibility of tearing it down.

"Public opinion, it seems to be about an 80-20 split for tearing it down, but do we have the funds to do that?" Ch'ng said of the ongoing debate, adding that there's been a renewed emphasis on using Victoriaville as a civic space to hold events.

"Trying to bring Victoriaville [to] what it's supposed to be, that civic-minded centre, where people can have events and use that space, especially in the winter time," she said.

Despite the Victoriaville question, Ch'ng said a number of varied businesses have set up shop in the south core, where entrepreneurs can take advantage of cheaper rents relative to the rest of the city. Several historic buildings in the area are also at full capacity, she said.

"The list goes on for all of the great businesses and it's just this different vibe and it's a good mix of things," she said.

'We're pumped': despite event centre setback, north side BIA excited for 2017

The proposed Thunder Bay event centre took a hit in 2016 when, for the second time, a federal government denied the city's request for funding from Ottawa for the project.

Even though the event centre is something the Waterfront District BIA has championed for about four years, merchants are taking the current situation in stride, said chair Jim Comuzzi.

"We're going to try and control the things we can and accent the things we can," he said, adding that the BIA doesn't have control over large scale projects like the event centre.

"The things that we don't [control] ... we'll support, but again, we'll work on the things that we can actually accomplish."

Comuzzi said he's excited about recent beautification efforts in the downtown core, like new LED lighting and summer planters; as well, he said he's pleased with the number of events that brought large crowds downtown in 2016.

"We're pumped," he said about looking ahead to 2017. "We are so pumped about what the future holds and what we are going to try and accomplish in the downtown here."