Once in a while, I have to eat a little crow. Well maybe more often than that phrase implies. I actually have a special plate for that purpose within handy reach of my desk at all times.
This week I’m chewing crow in the wake of a Tuesday’s announcement the City of North Battleford has sold its downtown King Street Station property to Magic Lantern Theatres. Bob Evans, director of development for the cinema corporation, says they will have a five-screen movie theatre up and running on the site within 10 months.
Wow! Way to go City of NB, although the owners and operators of the existing Capitol Theatre are likely smarting at the news that City officials actively marketed the property to the theatre group. But then, the City has never kept quiet their desire to have such a facility anchor their long-standing King Street Station development strategy.
The reason I’m choking down crow is because not too long ago I joined in the hue and cry that went up when the City closed down a huge chunk of parking areas in the downtown core for “maintenance.” At the time, City Manager Jim Puffalt also admitted the measure was being used to study parking patterns in the event those properties were no long available to be used for parking.
I, along with others, scoffed at the notion that day would ever arrive. I believe I used the phrase “in the unlikely event” in regards to sale of any of the properties.
Obviously Puffalt and company knew something I didn’t. So, hats off to all involved. It’s exciting to see such a project add to the efforts to rejuvenate what was, as recently as 20 years ago, a bustling place with department stores and other services.
This is a major step towards bringing that vibrancy back.
