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Belleville terminal a top economic priority, Victoria mayor says

Improvements to the Belleville terminal docks have to be considered a top economic priority for Greater Victoria, says Mayor Dean Fortin. “It’s an international port that’s in desperate need of repair.
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Users of the Belleville terminal docks say there is an urgent need to deal with deteriorating conditions at the areas used by the Coho and Clipper ferries.

Improvements to the Belleville terminal docks have to be considered a top economic priority for Greater Victoria, says Mayor Dean Fortin.

“It’s an international port that’s in desperate need of repair. It provides an entryway for goods, services and people — up to 800,000 — each year,” Fortin said, noting the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is looking to bring a comprehensive project plan to the provincial Treasury Board.

“We want to lend our voice to highlight that this is one of the top priorities … a top economic-development priority for the Greater Victoria region.”

City staff are recommending councillors write to the province, urging it to get on with the work.

Terminal users say there is an urgent need to deal with deteriorating conditions at both the Coho and Clipper dock areas.

“We’ve reached the point where all of the stakeholders — the residents, the city, the users — everybody is aligned and in a position to really support the redevelopment of the Belleville terminal,” Fortin said.

The idea is that the overall Belleville improvements be done in three stages over several years, beginning with the province undertaking repairs to the aging docks (to be done over the course of three winter periods to minimize disruptions, starting in fall 2015).

In phase two, the city would undertake improvements in front of the terminal, such as removing some fencing along the west side of Belleville Street and widening the pedestrian space along David Foster Way.

Phase three, considered the largest and most complex, would include removal of the existing modular buildings, additional dock upgrades and construction of a new common-use terminal.

Ryan Burles, chief executive of Blackball Ferry, which operates the Coho between Victoria and Port Angeles, Washington, and whose company recently finished a $4-million project to upgrade its Port Angeles dock, has estimated dock replacement in Victoria would cost about $10 million.

Economic-impact studies indicate that for 2012, the combined operations of the two core operators — the Clipper and the Coho ferries — generated more than $180 million in economic activity and supported about 4,450 jobs in Greater Victoria, says a report prepared by Sage Baker, Victoria’s executive director of economic development.

“There have been a number of conversations over the years around the potential evolution of the site. However, the most pressing issue is that the terminal is in need of urgent repairs as dock infrastructure has suffered from a historical lack of maintenance,” Baker’s report says.

bcleverley@timescolonist.com