Fitz looking west up the hill
DSCN1646, Myra Thomson photo. Originally uploaded by NanaimoCityHall
This is an attempt at setting up a Photo gallery which will be able to receive your pics of any and all things urban and suburban in Nanaimo. It’s a work in progress. Click the photo to go to the gallery. Send photos by email (nanaimocityhall@gmail.com) and they’ll be posted to this gallery.
Here’s the Downtown Design Guidelines on the Fitzwilliam precinct:
“Lubbock Square area spans Fitzwilliam Street, a short block on each side, from the E&N railway to west of Milton Street. Its current use includes RCMP, Fire, Ambulance and Community Services, transit and parking facilities. See Fitzwilliam study area for urban design recommendation for Lubbock Circle, a new landmark civic space and traffic calming roundabout.”
Don’t miss Urbanismo’s wonderful watercolours of
“unappreciated… little urban spaces that could be very attractive urban experiences”:
http://www.theyorkshirelad.ca/New.Nanaimo.Center/cultural.event/cultural.event.html
Posts and Comments on Nanaimo Governance 
Lubbock Square lost it’s initial look when the Police Department was expanded in the 80’s. Originally it went around the police station, behind the current firehall, behind the Health Services building and then library than around the back of the building that used to house Lindsays (Monk’s) Office Supplies. With the RCMP use of the old library and Lindsays (blocked off and screened for privacy) Lubbock square is all but forgotten, thanks to the existing part circling behind the Health Services Building where the 7-10 Club serves breakfast.
Were these street closures passed by City Hall or did the owners occupants (City of Nanaimo) just make them private for security reasons?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50115488@N08/4593112585/in/pool-1377042@N25
Thanks WM that shows the area nicely. It has the potential long term I guess to be turned back into a public space. Perhaps with the “traffic calming” roundabout as suggested by the Design Guidelines. I don’t think I’m sold on roundabouts in general though.
The building of the RCMP station a few years ago will never allow the entire square being given back and now with the RCMP using the old Lindsay’s building as a headquarters for undercover officers, that portion will remain closed. Eventually the only spot still there is designed as a parking lot will be closed off but will never become a public space.
Roundabouts are awesome if used correctly. With time, drivers become more comfortable with them and they reduce times spend waiting at stop signs or traffic lights. Anything to reduce the emissions in the air from the vehicles. We were in Qualicum yesterday and some folks up there still stop at roundabouts because they are not accustomed to them yet. There is one on Kenwill if you want practice :) I don’t see roundabouts as traffic calming devices but as a way to keep traffic moving instead of stopping, kinda like speed humps that you only have to slow down at instead of almost completely stopping as done at speed bumps.