Time to call out downtown property owners

General Forums Prince Rupert Forum
1

While many of the stores downtown have certainly improved their physical appearances through the “Paint Prince Rupert” campaign last summer…it appears there are still MANY downtown buildings that are in DESPERATE need of some TLC, at the very least a good POWER WASH. The downtown is the signature of this city and it is time for some of the worst offenders to be called out publicly for the disgusting state of their buildings.

10 WORST OFFENDERS:

1.) Old Empress Pub/Hotel owned by City Furniture - Time for this building to be cleaned up, it is one of the biggest eyesores in the downtown core. City Furniture is using this building for their inventory. Time to fix the ugly rusted roof, barely there tiles and rotting signage.

2.) Moby Dick Inn - While it is great to see them cleaning up one side of their building with a mural by Jeff King…how about powerwashing the other 3 sides, which look in VERY desperate need.

3.) Prince Rupert Hotel - What happened to the planned paint job and such for this building? The outside is in depesperate need of a good powerwash and the old Coast signage needs to be removed completely, the entire building is coasted in a black sludge in some areas. For a storied hotel like this one, that is pretty embarassing.

4.) Raffles Inn - Again, a simple powerwash of the building would do WONDERS and probably attract more business. The vinyl sides of the building are looked pretty green/brown. BIG eyesore.

5.) Famous Players - Time for a paint job, especially where the old “Coming Attraction” signs used to be on the side of the building, which are just 3 concrete slabs, mismatched with the rest of the building, it looks pretty bad. They have been in this state for some time now.

6.) 2nd Avenue Medical Building - For a doctors clinic, you think they would be able to afford a new sign, one that is not rotting beyond all repair, its highly embarassing for the group of doctors running that clinic.

7.) DC Computer Repairs - Please remove the 1 foot bushes growing out of your gutters and powerwash/fix your building.

8.) Highliner Inn - Again, this building is showing its age. It is in desperate need of some awnings, updated signage and good powerwashing, the green grime growing on the building looks awful and is one of the first things seen by people coming into this town when they are dropped off there from the airport bus.

9.) CITY HALL - Rather than wasting money on a new sign for the Civic Centre, a good powerwashing to get rid of the green/black moss or mold growing all over the building would be a better use of tax payer money. Also a new paint job could not hurt.

10.) Old Totem Bingo Hall - Another HUGE eyesore…how the city has allowed this building to remain in the state it is in for so many years is beyond all logical thinking. CLEAN THIS BUILDING UP!

There are many other buildings that just need some simple powerwashing…take some pride in your store front local business owners and a huge THANK YOU to all of those business/building owners downtown who are doing a good job of keeping their exteriors clean and updated.

If anyone else feels some business deserve to be called out, add them to the list here.

2

Sounds like a few good opportunities for someone with a powerwashing usiness.

3

Perhaps “Powerwash Prince Rupert” would have been a good summer campaign this past summer.

4

I won’t quote you (too long) but I agree with everything you wrote, plus I would add the mall, I know they have done some work but it could use more. Look at the Skeena Mall in Terrace much better with its new exterior, and interior will be done. I would also like to see Chances clean up their property.

5

I’ll agree that most of the properties on the list could use some TLC, including some I them on the top 10 offenders list is incorrect in my opinion.

My list includes:

  1. Old DQ building
  2. Slickers
  3. Teddy’s/Data Boy block
  4. Fire station
  5. Empress
  6. Raffles
  7. King Ed school
  8. Digby Towers
  9. McBride St Market
  10. Totem theater
  11. Old Home hardware
  12. Old KFC
  13. West end grocery
  14. Rupert Square
  15. Park Ave gas station
6

Who’s goin to pay for all theese renovations ? I know with the price of the property taxes around here that were lucky to have any buisness’s in theese buildings.

Maybey the city should help, but oh there broke as well, too many high payed employees not enough corporate income !

7

[quote=“Turd_sandwich”]Who’s goin to pay for all theese renovations ? I know with the price of the property taxes around here that were lucky to have any buisness’s in theese buildings.

Maybey the city should help, but oh there broke as well, too many high payed employees not enough corporate income ![/quote]

Almost 75% of these buildings issues are simply with powerwashing or simple paint jobs…surely they can afford to wash their building at least ONCE a year or re-paint every 2-4 years…the problem here is lack of pride and care IMO and not money, as a few cans of paints and a day of powerwashing is inexpensive and most can be done by the owners themsevles.

If businesses in this city want to remain successful and attractive to consumers in this area, they should keep their buildings AT LEAST CLEAN!! The level of care of how their building looks on the outside is probably indicitive of the service and product care you receive inside.

8

Well, if you’re that bothered by it, why not get some people together and do what Glenn Saunders did? Take some initiative.

9

Surely this is a joke? Why teh fuck should he have to “take some initiative” to make someone else get off their fat fucking pampered ass and paint/wash their building? Perhaps these business owners should “take some initiative” and fix their shit.

The city should create a bylaw mandating clean and well painted buildings with a fine of say 1k for non compliance and a 60 day window to remedy the situation, failure to do so would result in a 2k fine and so on, send unpaid fines to creditors. Make it worth it for the business owners who lack pride/motivation take some responsibility or bankrupt them and have someone else take over the building and make the repairs. Whatever.

10

[quote=“jesus”]

Surely this is a joke? Why teh fuck should he have to “take some initiative” to make someone else get off their fat fucking pampered ass and paint/wash their building? Perhaps these business owners should “take some initiative” and fix their shit.

The city should create a bylaw mandating clean and well painted buildings with a fine of say 1k for non compliance and a 60 day window to remedy the situation, failure to do so would result in a 2k fine and so on, send unpaid fines to creditors. Make it worth it for the business owners who lack pride/motivation take some responsibility or bankrupt them and have someone else take over the building and make the repairs. Whatever.[/quote]

Well, someone DID take the initiative. That’s why so many buildings were painted. Instead of coming online and creating huge lists of things that needed to be cleaned up. He organized volunteers, and got paint donated for it to be done…
I don’t think it should be the public that has to do it. But it’s not going to get done otherwise. You think all of those ugly buildings would look so great if it wasn’t for Glenn Saunders?
Ideally, the building owners would have to provide upkeep as well. I think they used to have to. BUT instead of coming on here and complaining about it on multiple occations, if it bothers the person THAT much why not make it into a cause, it might be fun.

11

Even Glen Saunders needs permission to fix up the outside of a building. I know of a few that declined the offer.

Is that what his initiative has created? The dependence of others to take responsibility for maintaining private property? I’m pretty sure that even Glen Saunders would tell you that his intention was not to switch responsibility from owner to volunteer. It would be unfair for us to expect that.

12

[quote=“jesus”]

Surely this is a joke? Why teh fuck should he have to “take some initiative” to make someone else get off their fat fucking pampered ass and paint/wash their building? Perhaps these business owners should “take some initiative” and fix their shit.

The city should create a bylaw mandating clean and well painted buildings with a fine of say 1k for non compliance and a 60 day window to remedy the situation, failure to do so would result in a 2k fine and so on, send unpaid fines to creditors. Make it worth it for the business owners who lack pride/motivation take some responsibility or bankrupt them and have someone else take over the building and make the repairs. Whatever.[/quote]

This is something I would FULLY support…I really wish the city would consider this.

13

We need someone to go to a City council meeting and make some suggestions to council. (I’m not good at speaking) theres lots that could be done to improve our town that shouldn’t cost a lot of money.

14

[quote=“bubbasteve735”]

Well, someone DID take the initiative. That’s why so many buildings were painted. Instead of coming online and creating huge lists of things that needed to be cleaned up. He organized volunteers, and got paint donated for it to be done…
I don’t think it should be the public that has to do it. But it’s not going to get done otherwise. You think all of those ugly buildings would look so great if it wasn’t for Glenn Saunders?
Ideally, the building owners would have to provide upkeep as well. I think they used to have to. BUT instead of coming on here and complaining about it on multiple occations, if it bothers the person THAT much why not make it into a cause, it might be fun.[/quote]

Wonderful someone did something good. The fact is this is an issue for the city to take care of not volunteers. The city should fine these business, give them a grace period to fix it or at least begin repairs, fine them again if they fail to make the repairs and finally revoke the business license and begin the process of expropriating the property.

If you cant afford basic maintenance on your building sell it to someone who can.

15

[quote=“bthedog”]

Surely this is a joke? Why teh fuck should he have to “take some initiative” to make someone else get off their fat fucking pampered ass and paint/wash their building? Perhaps these business owners should “take some initiative” and fix their shit.

The city should create a bylaw mandating clean and well painted buildings with a fine of say 1k for non compliance and a 60 day window to remedy the situation, failure to do so would result in a 2k fine and so on, send unpaid fines to creditors. Make it worth it for the business owners who lack pride/motivation take some responsibility or bankrupt them and have someone else take over the building and make the repairs. Whatever.

This is something I would FULLY support…I really wish the city would consider this.[/quote]

A quick search of the City website I found this…

princerupert.ca/images/edito … BL3297.pdf

16

The City has in the past ordered the demolition of homes and ordered properties to be cleaned up. Perhaps they should do it more often.

17

They still do this with many residential buildings (although mainly for ones that are literally almost falling down), but it seems many of the commercial buildings are not being taken to task for their down right shabby state.

IMO the commercial downtown/cow baby district need to be held to a higher standard than residential buildings, mainly because these are the areas of PR that are seen the most by visitors/tourists/investors ect.

18

City hall can demand property owners clean up but will only do so if there is a complaint filed with them.
All you need to do is call ( Rob Grodecki or Zeno I believe) and keep on them about it.
Any unkept property, old cars, illegally parked vehicles, just call and complain. With out a complaint City hall will not act!
Personally I would like to see the Nisga’a Hall painted and it would now hurt the CIBC to power wash their siding as well.
We deserve a better looking downtown and it is up to us to get city hall to act.
250 627 1781, pick your 2 worst places and call tomorrow!
Enough talk, let get started folks.

19

would any interested citizens like to come on camera and talk about the dilapidated state of buildings in town with the CFTK-TV Reporter, if interested please call him 250-627-8255

20

I am not available until tomorrow but will call you about this.