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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Empty stores and a barren mall are sapping the spirit of the downtown core, say people who live and work there.

Add to that the near constant harassment by drunks and the lack of parking, some are saying it's getting so bad they avoid the area whenever possible.

"I don't like to go downtown because there are a lot of street people," said Cynthia Jewell, a Yellowknife resident.

"Definitely that's a problem for sure."

Verity Martin, an esthetician at Merle Norman in Centre Square Mall, said her clients have told her they feel uncomfortable entering the building because of groups of loiterers outside.

Martin said she believes the occasional police walk-through would make all the difference in changing the mall environment.

"If that was done, more people would come here, more businesses would open their stores here," she said.

"They need to revamp this place. (Merle Norman) is doing well but the mall is dying."

Customers and businesses alike are also concerned about the lack of customer parking in the downtown core.

Patrick Dowbush, a receiver for Lake Awry Cap and Crest, said on-street parking is often taken by people employed downtown, leaving few spots available for those driving in to shop.

"The parking available is taken by people who work downtown," he said. "So there is none available for customers."

Herb Rodh said he would like to see parking spots that are better patrolled or allocated. He said the handicapped parking spot in front of Northern United Place frequently has the same vehicle parked there for days, limiting other people's use of the spot. He pointed out that cars parked along the front entrance to the building, which houses many seniors, has little to no space for an ambulance to pull up.

The city is currently asking downtown businesses and operators to fill out a parking survey. The deadline is Aug. 10.

Mira Hall, a resident who works and volunteers downtown, said she would like to see distinct bike lanes in the summer and ski lanes in the winter in order to alleviate some traffic and support the healthy activities that many residents already have an interest in.

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