North Shore business owners ‘cautiously optimistic’ with new bridge housing
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KAMLOOPS — Saturday morning’s announcement of 30 short-term beds on Royal Avenue, current home of the JUMP program, comes as a relief to business owners in the neighbourhood who are cautiously optimistic after years of dealing with the homeless population.
“I would like to see it end,” said owner of Sorriso Restaurant and Bruno’s Cold Beer and Wine Renato Uliana. “I don’t have the answers, but we’re just getting tired of it, and if this is what is going to make it work I have to be on board with it.”
Many of the other businesses on the North Shore that were surveyed on Friday also feel cautiously optimistic but are excited things seem to be moving forward.
“There’s still some reluctance,” said executive director of the North Shore Business Improvement Association Jeremy Heighton. “What is it going to look like? What is it really going to be like once it happens? What will the impacts be? But I think overall, it’s a sense of ‘Oh, thank God we have changes we can move forward as a community.’ There’s some opportunity here. There’s a great operator coming to the table who’s got a great reputation in town.”
