There’s new organization in North Bay that’s concerned about the downtown and its future.

It’s called Downtown Inc.

One of its board members is Shawn Chorney.

He says they are a group of professionals that have been asked by Invest North Bay to provide leadership to leverage opportunities for the downtown and the waterfront.

He says they are different than Downtown North Bay as they look at that area of the downtown but also the waterfront and have asked council to expand the Downtown Community Improvement Plan to include a wider range of options.

He says they will look at a potential for residential properties, brownfield re-development and industrial areas.

Chorney says the idea is to leverage opportunities when something is working well and if it’s not working well how things can be overhauled to provide more contemporary solutions.

He says they’re looking at a strategic approach to getting people living downtown in ways that they aren’t now.

Meantime, the Downtown Waterfront Advisory Committee has issued a couple of recommendations which council has endorsed.

They direct staff to come up with a public art policy within 9 months and to develop a downtown development guide.

Filed under: Downtown Inc, Shawn Chorney