Is downtown St. John’s still the heart of the city?

Creativity, colour, a strong sense of community, deep historical roots, unbreakable resilience and (of course) the most friendly people you’ll meet… all are crucial to the cultural reputation of downtown St. John’s, N.L. Walking the core streets of Water, Duckworth and George, one can find an 85-year-old music and instrument store, a tea and plant shop, cafés and restaurants for every taste, clothing boutiques for men and women, escape rooms crafted by local artists and gamers, and much more. The discoveries are seemingly endless.

But, the area isn’t without its ailments. Increased vacancy rates, low residential density, social issues, parking debates and long, harsh winters are common challenges facing business owners in the area.

 

 

Dave Rowe has never lived more than a five-minute walk from downtown St. John’s. Growing up, he’d frequently visit his uncle and grandparents who at one time each owned and lived above the family’s 85-year-old music and instrument store on Water Street. The current owner of O’Brien’s Music and its latest above-the-shop resident, Rowe is a life-long advocate of the downtown core.

The historical vibe and proximity to nature are two things he especially appreciates. He says walking past old buildings on Water or Duckworth Street feels like being in another place and time. And while downtown has its office buildings, retail shops, eateries and vibrant nightlife, folks can also enjoy the views of the harbourfront and nearby hiking trails on Signal Hill.

A musician himself, Rowe enjoys being part of the hustle and bustle. It allows him to walk to most of his gigs and catch live music any night of the week. He says culture is what makes downtown St. John’s unique. With a high concentration of working artists living in the A1C area code, that abundant creativity is expressed through music, visual art and theatre.

 

 

Inside O’Brien’s Music, walls are filled with button accordions, Irish drums, ugly sticks and a variety of string instruments. Customers entering the store to browse products or inquire about an instrument repair are typically greeted by name and served by Rowe himself. It adds to the old-timey vibe of the shop and is a quintessential representation of life in downtown St. John’s.

This sense of community is what attracted Vicki Axford to do business in the area. When she lived in her hometown of St. Thomas, Ontario, Axford worked under the EDC umbrella on small business development within downtown districts. When she moved to St. John’s in April 2022, she didn’t intend to start her own business. But, in her words, “the opportunity was there.”

She saw a niche that wasn’t covered and used connections in Ontario to open a plant and tea shop. Although she initially thought she would only operate online, having a brick-and-mortar store just felt right. Serendipitously, she found the perfect spot while walking downtown.

Anyone who visits Calatheas on Duckworth Street is immediately greeted by Axford’s cheery smile and bouncy, curly hair. She says the real benefit of having a physical store is the ability to create connections. She prides herself on having created a space where not only everyone is welcome to shop, but people also feel comfortable just stopping in for a chat.

“Walking around downtown, you get a vibe for the city that you’re not going to get anywhere else because it’s uniquely St. John’s.”

—Gaylynne Gulliver, Downtown St. John’s

Axford says downtown was the perfect space for her vision since there was already such a strong sense of community. “Everyone’s just nice here. People stop their cars so you can walk across the road, which doesn’t happen in Ontario.” After just two years, Axford says she already finds it hard to go anywhere downtown without running into someone she knows. It’s one of the things she loves about the area.

Downtown cores are incubators for small businesses like hers, says Axford. Rent can be less expensive than larger shopping malls and there’s a camaraderie among shop owners in the area. But maintaining a healthy downtown also requires density.

Booming downtown districts typically have dense populations and more residents are needed in the St. John’s core. Gaylynne Gulliver is marketing, special events and media relations manager with non-profit business association Downtown St. John’s. She believes increased density is a major opportunity for the city. People who live downtown also tend to shop and work downtown; strong residential density represents a ready base of local customers for services and businesses alike. Gulliver sees recent residential developments like Mix Apartments on Duckworth Street as a hopeful sign that more is soon to come.

 

 

Another challenge in the area relates to social issues. Mental health and addiction are an epidemic across Canada, and people with such challenges seem to be naturally attracted to downtown districts. Walking downtown St. John’s, you’re sure to encounter multiple people asking for money. Gulliver said a recently announced action plan and funding for programming are designed to address some of those social issues. Downtown St. John’s has also partnered with local nonprofits to help those in need.

This local focus on local issues magnifies the importance of supporting downtown and keeping profits within the province. It’s typically local organizations that sponsor communities. While there are many longstanding businesses in downtown St. John’s, it’s also no secret that vacancy rates in corporate offices have increased in recent years.

Statistics provided by Turner Drake & Partners, an Atlantic Canadian commercial real estate consulting firm, confirm that office vacancies in downtown St. John’s have been on the rise and are up to 22.5 per cent higher than other cities in Atlantic Canada. Colin Rennie, GIS Specialist with the firm, shared that in June of 2015, vacancy in the downtown core of St. John’s was an incredibly low 2.87 per cent. Since then, it appears that the fall in oil prices and the move of many corporate offices to the suburbs have caused vacancies to rise at a rapid pace.

It appears that high vacancies have led to a decrease in the price of renting office space in St. John’s. However, prices are still up to 54.04 per cent higher than other cities. Rennie speculates this could be due to many factors including the historically low vacancy rate in St. John’s that would have justified charging a premium, as well as potentially higher costs of construction, labour, land, etc.

Although vacancy rates are concerning, the numbers do show an 4.8 per cent drop in vacancy between 2022 and 2023. Gulliver from Downtown St. John’s says vacancies tend to be cyclical and believes the tide is turning as buildings start to find new tenants.

East Port Properties, manager of office buildings on 235 and 351 Water Street, has gotten creative with its rental options. Leaning into the world’s new way of working, they’ve opened a shared office space at 235 Water Street, targeted toward growing startups and solopreneurs in the tech industry. Tenants can rent specific workstations on short-term, flexible leases while enjoying various amenities and proximity to like-minded people working in similar areas.

 

 

While things appear to be moving in a positive direction, vacancies and the overall economy have affected restaurants, retail stores and other small businesses in the area. Fewer people working downtown means less foot traffic throughout the day and many businesses are feeling the pain, albeit to varying degrees.

Although working professionals are a major customer segment for his business, John McCarthy, owner and operator of Benjamin’s Menswear, says the lack of foot traffic downtown hasn’t had a significant impact on business overall. He says many of his customers consider Benjamin’s a go-to destination for quality menswear.

The number of tourists who come to the area combined with the store’s robust online presence have also helped maintain operations. He explains that locals tend to use his website to get a sense of their inventory and then come in-store to try things on before making a purchase. Most online sales are to people living off the island, which he attributes to travelers having had a positive experience in his store and wanting to continue their customer relationship after returning home. McCarthy says shopping downtown is an experience itself: “If you want something unique and to get a sense of the community, I think downtown is the only place to visit.”

 

 

Kelly Mansell, co-owner of Rocket Bakery and Fresh Food, believes that tourism is vital for St. John’s, especially the downtown core. When Rocket first opened 13 years ago, its flagship location was downtown. Now with two other Rockets in surrounding areas, Mansell says their café on Water Street thrives during the high traffic tourist season.

Stepping inside Rocket, the mismatched chairs and tables, exposed brick, wood paneling and eclectic furnishings create a cozy, nostalgic atmosphere. For many, it feels like a trip to see Nan. Lighting up at the observation, Mansell says it’s just the vibe they wanted to create “The way our cafés look showcases what we admire about Newfoundland culture.” It’s also shown through menu staples like their fish cakes, homemade flakies and pastries filled with berries native to the island. With their large communal tables and weekly trad sessions onsite, Rocket encourages tourists to mingle with locals and experience N.L.’s unique culture.

The tourist season, however, is all too short and the winters are long.

To offset seasonal revenue fluctuations, Rocket has focused on getting their products in local retail stores like Colemans, Belbin’s Grocery, Urban Market and Sobeys. Mansell adds that municipal initiatives like the seasonal pedestrian mall, which closes Water Street to vehicular traffic during the summer, have been great for attracting both locals and tourists downtown and she’d love to see something similar throughout the winter. Another area she feels could be improved is parking.

Parking is a hot topic in any downtown. Mark Webber and Mark Denine, two of four co-owners of Escape Quest, say they hear a lot of complaints about there being “nowhere to park” downtown. But, they say, access to parking isn’t really an issue at all, especially on their end of Duckworth Street where they often see empty spaces in front of their building. They think the parking dilemma comes down to three things: people don’t know where to park, aren’t comfortable with parallel parking, or they just don’t want to pay for it. Regardless, both agree that there’s no other place they’d rather be than downtown St. John’s.

 

 

“It’s where the people are,” said Webber. The downtown core gets a lot of foot traffic and access to tourists, especially from visiting cruise ships. A two-hour stop in the Harbour gives visitors plenty of time to walk up the road and complete an interactive “escape” scenario. The culture and history of downtown St. John’s are a frequent source of inspiration for the design of their “escape” rooms. One recently retired room was themed around escaping the St. John’s Fire of 1892; A current ‘90s-themed room emulates a basement in Newfoundland from that decade (embellished with a copy of the now-defunct Newfoundland Herald next to a wooden TV). Webber and Denine joked that the narrow buildings downtown can be a challenge when building rooms, but they make it work.

Escape Quest’s location also provides customers with easy access to bars and restaurants along Water and Duckworth, as well as the infamous George Street.

Don-E Coady, marketing and communications lead for George Street Association, says George Street is a world-famous tourist destination. Coined a “premier entertainment district”, the cultural history of downtown St. John’s is part of what makes George Street so special, as well as its diverse hospitality. There’s a little something for everyone among its approximately two dozen pubs, bars and restaurants. Playing anything from traditional Irish folk music to bumping techno beats, patrons can enjoy live music, drinks and great food on George seven nights a week. The Association also organizes several events, including its signature George Street Festival—a seven-day music festival featuring local, national and international artists who play on-stage, right in the middle of the street. It’s an experience like no other.

Entrenched in history and colourful culture, walking the downtown core is a true representation of what makes St. John’s, and Newfoundland and Labrador as a whole, unique. The area has its challenges, but its eclectic collection of people, places, traditions and experiences make it something completely unique—the colourful core of this historic city.