If you fix it, they will come

A partnership gave new life to an empty Nelson building complex, creating space for growing local businesses

Business has been able to thrive and grow at 801 Front Street, thanks to the work of a trio of Nelson investors.

Entrepreneurs say three things must be considered when choosing a place to setup their business: location, location, location.

For years, an old abandoned building with smashed and partially boarded windows took up the entire 800 block of Front Street in Nelson until a trio of entrepreneurs had a vision. Now, what was once considered an eyesore has been completely gutted and renovated by Nelson locals Josh Smienk, Henk Ravestein and Victor Learmonth, who saw the potential in front of them.

“We just saw it as an opportunity,” said Smienk, the spokesman for the partnership, “and made an offer on the building, found some anchor tenants and proceeded to (transform) an eyesore into a fairly useful building tucked between the downtown core and the [Chahko Mika] mall.”

Smienk, formerly a chair of the Columbia Basin Trust and past director for the Regional District of Central Kootenay, now operates an industrial park, leasing out buildings to businesses. With his knowledge of navigating zoning and bylaw issues, coupled with the practical construction skills of Ravestein and Learmonth, the three pooled their skills and made their vision a reality.

Originally a cluster of offices and workshops for the B.C. Highways department of the Ministry of Transportation and owned by British Columbia Buildings Corporation, the site grew to take up the entire block over the course of a few decades. The building was closed down over five years ago when the provincial government abandoned it to relocate to another area. Retaining the heritage feeling of the building was one of the requirements from the city, and Smienk and company were happy to oblige.

Keeping the original shell of the building—part of which was built in the 1930s—they gutted the interior and replaced insulation, electrical wiring and the roof. The project was financed by the local Nelson and District Credit Union.

“A project like this wouldn’t happen for us if we didn’t have the faith and the co-operation of our local credit union,” said Smienk.

In addition to local financing, the three used local contractors for all the work on the complex, save for the roofing and installation of the air conditioning, which was done by firms out of Trail.

After spending $1 million, the trio had 2,137 square metres of space to lease. When it became available, it wasn’t hard to attract business tenants. OK Tire, Kokanee Physiotherapy, Arcright Plumbing and Heating, Midway Express Ltd. and others soon made a home out of 801 Front Street. All that remains of the available floor space in the three-story structure is a 93 square metre area.

Susan Faye, owner of Kokanee Physiotherapy, moved her business from her old office half a block away to one of the spaces available more than a year ago. She had been looking for some time for a new space and jumped at the chance to lease from the building. A bigger space to design her clinic, the convenient location and access to parking were all factors in her decision to move.

“Customers love it,” said Faye. “They love what we’ve done to the space and we’ve received really positive feedback on our new location.”

The additional office space in the building allowed Midway Express Ltd. to move operations out of a residential house into a strategic spot close to downtown area, said manager Charlie Bourgeois. The company is the only commercial trucking outfit in the city and the new building provides more space and parking that his home couldn’t provide. He had a preexisting connection with the building; his new office is the old lunchroom where he’d stop for breaks when he worked for B.C. Highways. Additionally, by moving to a bigger office space he was able to grow the business and and add another employee.

“It’s nice to see total use of the building, rather than knocking it down and doing something else with it,” said Bourgeois.

Bourgeios said that even though there is a diverse mix of business like an auto shop, a physiotherapy clinic and plain office space, everyone gets along well with their neighbours. And while Smienk is happy with the outcome of the investment, the refurnished site is not just about business. Ravestein and Learmonth are both born and raised in Nelson and Smeink has called the city home for 35 years. They all take pride in their community, and by taking an old structure and reinvesting in it, the community was able to keep a heritage building and have business located in a convenient area of the city.

“It’s nice to be able to take a derelict (building) and move it into something that is a financially good investment for us, but also improves our community,” said Smienk.