While the amount varies from downtown to downtown, a common rule-of-thumb for the value of a prime parking space is approximately $150-$300 in retail sales PER DAY.

Based on this calculation, the cost per year to downtown retailers is a loss of $45,000-$90,000 when business owners and downtown employees park in prime downtown spaces.

Some other ways to look at it:
For every prime parking space occupied by a business owner, office worker or other employee within downtown, one or two jobs are potentially being lost; businesses are not realizing profits that would result from increased retail transactions; and the city is, of course, capturing less tax revenue from businesses that lose profits and/or shut down.

More Numbers….

Parking Loss at $12,000 A Day!!

Sound high?

Consider the following:

~ If there are 500 employees downtown,

~ 20% are parking in potential customer spaces (100 spaces)

~ Each of those spaces would have turned over an average of eight times daily if used by customers (that’s 800 cars)

~ Each car has 1.5 customers (that’s 1,200 customers)

~ Who spend an average of $10 each

~ Then that equals $12,000 daily!

And that adds up to $372,000 each month (if you calculate for 31 days).

Shoppers vs. Workers

Almost every downtown faces the shopper vs. worker conundrum when it comes to parking. Office workers and retail managers and employees feed meters all-day at on-street parking locations. As a result, shoppers and visitors are left with the following options:

~ They park in an off-street facility where they generally pay between two to four times the vicinity’s meter rate.

~ They circle their desired location until convenient metered space becomes available, thereby wasting time, adding to congestion and getting aggravated. This kind of activity also increases fuel consumption and reduces mass-transit timeliness of downtown.

~ They double-park, or park illegally in fire, bus or loading zones and then get ticketed, fined and/or towed.

~ They search for an open parking meter farther from their intended destination. This results in them losing valuable time walking farther to/from destinations, carrying packages over distances and possibly parking in areas that are less than safe.

Ultimately, if shoppers can’t find convenient on-street parking, they will develop perceptions about a lack of parking downtown – and then drive off to the suburban shopping mall to spend their dollars and never to be heard from again.

Customers expect and deserve easy, convenient parking, which they can’t find if employees are taking prime parking spots.

Spread the word, when employees park on meters it prevents a customer from parking there, you and your neighbouring businesses lose money. There are parking alternatives available.

For information on long-term, off-street parking services visit our Parking Information page under Visitors Guide.

With inspiration from world famous chef, downtown dining just got a little more cosmopolitan

Basho Japanese fusion restaurant and lounge is an example of how the restaurant scene in St. John’s is growing and diversifying.

With food inspired by world famous chef Nobu Matsuhisa (renowned for creating simple fusions of Japanese cuisine, inspired by ethnic influences), a modern, genuine Japanese décor and the option of experiencing fine dining or a casual lounge setting complete with contemporary music, Basho would be equally at home in Tokyo, New York or London.

Tak Ishiwata, the owner of Basho (which means place in Japanese), was born and raised in Newfoundland and Labrador after his parents moved from Tokyo just over 30 years ago.

Just as his restaurant changes the face of downtown St. John’s dining when it opened its doors on Duckworth Street in mid-December, Ishiwata was also challenged with the changing face of what was once Nageira’s restaurant (downstairs) and Finnegan’s Wake pub (upstairs).

“It was hard to envision because the inside interior décor had an old-style Irish tavern sort of look to it and it looked very cramped and small,” Ishiwata tells The Independent, “but once we put my concept in the place it looked; it’s almost too big right now. I mean it seats 100 people.”

Ishiwata is perched on a stool in the upstairs lounge. Behind him, a sleek bar, lit from beneath, curves past a row of windows looking over the top of Water Street to the harbour beyond. Tall tables and a couch are dotted around so customers can come in for a few drinks and/or appetizers (Basho’s martini reflects the restaurant’s unique menu). The décor is simple, but dramatic: black, red, grey and white, set off by Japanese prints and floral arrangements.

At the bottom of a wooden, winding staircase leading to the front door is an impressive painting of kabuki performers (kabuki is a form of Japanese theatre). The main fine-dining room is on the same floor. Another huge kabuki painting sets off the room and yet another decorates the hall towards a private conference room.

Ishiwata explains his grandfather painted the images. He died in a house fire about 10 years ago in Tokyo and only a few of his pieces were salvaged. On a recent trip back to Japan, Ishiwata’s aunt gave him the darkly dramatic painting’s to hang on his walls.

There are also some mounted photographs of Ishiwata and Chef Nobu Matsuhisa – who’s as well-known for his appearances on television shows like Martha Stewart Living his large celebrity following and his restaurants worldwide – as he is for cooking.
Two years ago when Ishiwata began seriously courting the idea of opening a restaurant, he had no idea he would get to build on his skills in Nobu’s world-famous Tokyo restaurant, meet his idol and even get to use some of Nobu’s personal recipes for his menu in St. John’s.

It came about when Ishiwata’s mother introduced him to a friend of hers in Tokyo. Over the years, his mother’s friend, Chef Negishi, had become one of the top chefs in Japan.

“We sat down for a meeting and he asked me who I’d like to train under,” says Ishiwata. “I said, ‘You know, I’d like to work under Nobu,’ and he said, ‘I’ll give him a call this afternoon.’ And within hours he called me back and told me ‘You can start at Nobu (Tokyo) whenever you want.’ “I was pretty excited; I’d been following his progress for about seven years”.

It was early 2005 and Ishiwata had just bought his venue in St. John’s before flying out to Japan. So he told Negishi he would return in four months after renovations on the building were underway.

Ishiwata already had some culinary and management training from New York’s Culinary Institute of America, but he spent six weeks with the chefs at Nobu Tokyo, learning his craft in hands-on fashion, in a restaurant frequented by high-ranking celebrities, politicians and service industry executives.

“It was excellent. It was pretty nerve-wracking. I cut my hands a couple of times. In the first day I think I lost half a fingernail. It was tough work.”

Although Nobu now lives in the US he visited his restaurant in Tokyo while Ishiwata was there – and even gave him some recipes as a gift.

“He’s just a genuinely, really nice guy;’ says Ishiwata. “I said it would be a great honour for me and my restaurant to have something that was inspired by him and he said, ‘Well Tak, what two items do you like?’”

Taken off guard, Ishiwata “blurted” out one item from off the top of his head (an asparagus and egg sauce appetizer with scallops and fish roe, which turned out to be a smart choice) as well as the item he had his eye on all along: Nobu style sashimi.

Sashimi is raw meat – usually fish – and Nobu (and now Basho) uses seasonal white fish, with garlic, ginger, chives, lemon and soya sauce.

“On top we have really hot olive oil and sesame oil. It’s almost smoking hot,” says Ishiwata. “You pour it on and it slightly cooks the fish and there’s little bits of potato crisps.”

Ishiwata says the dish is a great starting point for people wary of raw fish, or those who had a bad experience in the past. “People that don’t like sushi, they come here and (Basho) would probably change their mind.”

Ishiwata says Basho’s menu, which has a diverse range of artistically presented Japanese items, inspired by many different ethnicities, at a cost usually well under $32, will show people there’s a lot more to Japanese cuisine than sushi.

Although he says training in Tokyo was amazing, Ishiwata is happier bringing his cuisine to the locals in St. John’s. “Nobu Tokyo, if they wanted me to stay, I would have really had to sit down and think about it: but I have so much here.”

Basho opens at 6:00 pm onwards and will start opening for lunch within two months. A date for the grand opening is expected to be announced shortly.

Clare-Marie Gosse, The Independent, January 8, 2006.

Four new members were appointed to the DDC Board of Management by City Council on Monday, January 9, 2006. Two existing board members were re-appointed to an addtional two-year term. Returning to the Board are Neil Hardy of the Altus Group and Anita Carroll of Posie Row.

Newly elected to the Board is John McCarthy of Benjamin's Menswear, Mike Howard of the Model Shop, Peter Belbin of Peter Belbin's Steakhouse & Salad Bar and Catherine Perry or Perry & Power Law.

During the first meeting of 2006, held on Wednesday, January 11, Bill Mahoney of Regal Realty was re-elected as Chair of the Commission for another year. Mr. Mahoney has served on the DDC Board for the last 3 years and has served as Chair since his appointment to the Board.

Anita Carroll of Posie Row has been re-elected as Vice-Chair. Ms. Carroll continues her position as Vice Chair and has been serving on the Board since 2001.

Charles Cook of Sonco Inc. operators of the Atlantic Place Parking Garage has been re-elected to the position of Treasurer. Mr. Cook is the longest serving Board member in DDC history and has been with the Commission since its creation in 1989.

The DDC Board is comprised of twelve Board members in total. Phonse Miller of Gallery Shoes sits as Past Chair. Other serving Board members are Ron Fougere of Ron Fougere Architects, Mary Andrews of Details & Designs, David Hiscock of R.H. Trapnells and Neil Hardy of the Altus Group.

The DDC Board meets on the second Wednesday of each month.

The DDC would like to remind downtown businesses and property owners of the City Anti-litter bylaw (section posted below). Businesses and Commercial property owners are responsible for any litter, refuse or garbage of any kind on the street, sidewalk and drainage ditch or curb and gutter abutting or adjacent to his or her property.

The result of little snowfall has seen the increasing build-up of litter on downtown sidewalks and streets. The City of St. John's "Hand Cart" Street Cleaning program has ended for the season as of Decemeber 1st, 2005 and will be in place again in the Spring of 2006.

Anti-litter Bylaw:

Commercial Property shall mean any property or building that is used or designed for use for business, commercial, industrial or institutional purposes.

No person shall obstruct, litter or befoul any street, sidewalk or public place in the City of St. John's with any refuse, debris, litter, garbage or any unsanitary, offensive or injurious substance or article of any kind, or place, leave or keep on any street, sidewalk or public place in the City of St. John's any dilapidated or unsightly vehicle, machine, article or thing.

The owner of Commercial Property shall keep the street, sidewalk and drainage ditch or curb and gutter abutting or adjacent to his or her property free of refuse, debris, litter, garbage, and any unsanitary, offensive or injurious substance or article of any kind.

The Director of Building and Property Management may cause any article or thing placed, left or kept in or upon any street, sidewalk, drainage ditch, curb or gutter, or public place in contravention of this By-Law to be removed and disposed of at an appropriate sanitary disposal location.

The Director of Building and Property Management may cause the cost of any such removal and disposal as provided for in subsection (1) to be billed to the property owner responsible pursuant to the provisions of sections 4 and 5 and such cost shall then become a debt owed to the City of St. John's.

For more information on this and other City Bylaws visit www.stjohns.ca

The Arts Community, area businesses and other interested parties are advised that the building paper sheathing (Tyvek) installed on designated downtown utility poles for the purpose of placing advertising posters will be removed and replaced in 2006 on the following dates:

January 16
March 20
May 16
June 19
July 17
August 21
Septemeber 18
October 16
November 20

You will note that the removal and replacement occurs on the 3rd Monday of each month (except February, April & December).

Advertisers should also note that the removal and replacement of the Tyvek may take more than one day and the schedule may be delayed by adverse weather conditions.

Help us eliminate litter by ensuring that your posters are securely attached and by using only the designated poles which have Tyvek attached to them.

If you require additional information please contact the City at 754 CITY or 754 2489.

This program is sponsored jointly by the DDC, Newfoundland Power and the City of St. John's.

A high-end condominium complex proposed for downtown St. John’s could help revitalize a stodgy section of New Gower Street.

The City has received an application from Gene Kenny, owner of property adjacent to the St. John’s Convention Center, to develop a 26-unit condominium called New Gower Place. Kenny couldn’t be reached for comment.

The land is described in the application as “the best remaining block of undeveloped property in the city”, and sits directly across from City Hall, Mile One Stadium, Cabot Place and the Delta Hotel.

The $6-million venture is being reviewed by city staff and could be brought before council for a decision early in the new year.

Ward 2 Coun. Frank Galgay, who represents the area, said he likes the proposal and views it as another step in the renaissance of downtown St. John’s. “This potential development will enhance the downtown and provide future accommodation as we see more spin-off from present and future off-shore oil and gas developments”, he said.

“Hopefully, this will be a progression of a renewal towards the extremities of the west end of St. John’s, an area known historically as River Head.”

Kenny proposes building a four-storey structure with frontage along New Gower of more than 150 feet. The plan also calls for 26 off-street parking spaces. Two existing buildings on the property-one occupied by a computer business and a law office, and a second, vacant structure- would have to be demolished to accommodate the development.

Part of the site is the former home of Kenny’s Marble Works. Robert Purchase of Re/Max Realty Specialists Ltd., is the sales consultant for the project. He said if the condominium proposal is not acceptable with council, Kenny will instead make application for a four-story parking garage.

The current application calls for two-story condos with 1,400 square feet of floor space. The units will be marketed to executive types between the ages of 30 and 50 who wish to live in the heart of downtown.

The land is currently zoned commercial central mixed, which allows for residential development. It’s also located in a heritage area, which restricts building heights to four storys, or 15 meters.

The Telegram. Friday, December 23, 2005

PUBLIC NOTICE - Shops Closing Holidays, 2006
Notice is hereby given that, under authority of the Shops Closing Act, the following days are to be observed as holidays during the calendar year 2006.

Holiday Date of Observance

New Year's Day*
Sunday, January 1st, 2006

Good Friday*
Friday, April 14th, 2006

Easter Sunday
Sunday, April 16th, 2006

Victoria Day
Monday, May 22nd, 2006

Memorial/Canada Day*
Saturday, July 1st, 2006

Labour Day*
Monday, September 4th, 2006

Thanksgiving Day
Monday, October 9th, 2006

Remembrance Day*
Saturday, November 11th, 2006

Christmas Day*
Monday, December 25th, 2006

Boxing Day
Tuesday, December 26th, 2006

* - Public Paid Holidays

In addition to the foregoing holidays, the Shops Closing Act sets for observance as holidays the following:

(a) in the City of St. John's, the day determined as Regatta Day