By Tyler Waugh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Paradise Mayor Patrick Martin updated the business community on some major upcoming municipal projects during the annual mayoral update hosted April 16 by the Mount Pearl-Paradise Chamber of Commerce.
Martin told a packed luncheon at The Hall at Holy Innocents Auditorium on Paradise Road that council decided to move ahead with a new depot and a major renovation to the Town Hall after conclusion of the insurance process from a fire that rendered the building unusable just over a year ago.
Martin said staff are still displaced and working in interim locations. He said it took time for insurance adjusters to complete assessments on the damage, but now that it’s complete council has begun to move forward with plans.
“We've determined that a responsible thing to do is remodel the interior of Town Hall,” said Martin. “The cost of this work is covered by insurance proceeds, and this means we can update the building in a financially responsible manner. We are going to improve the accessibility features of the building, modernize working spaces, update council chambers and create a Town Hall that can serve Paradise for decades to come. Work is under way and they suspect it will be completed by the end of the year.”
The new depot, he added, is a ‘significant’ financial commitment, but council needed to consider the future needs of Paradise as the province’s third-largest municipality.
A new depot was already under consideration with a feasibility study in 2024, Martin noted, as the previous space was no longer meeting the Town’s needs with respect to staffing needs and equipment storage.
“A new depot, one built for our needs, will provide indoor storage to protect equipment, offer expanded service for inventory, and create a modernize facility to support our essential services,” Martin said.
The new facility will be built on Town land near the Diane Whelan Memorial Soccer Complex.
The third upcoming capital project Martin outlined was a $50 million upgrade to the sewerage treatment plant that will bring the facility up to required federal regulations.
“The overall project is expected to cost us 50 million (dollars) and it will be completed in three separate fields,” he said. “The goal is to be compliant by the 2040s. This year, we plan to focus on the design work for phase one.”
Martin also used the luncheon as an opportunity to introduce the business community to Courtney Hiscock, the Town’s new economic development officer, who came on board in January.
Martin said one of the top priorities with Hiscock in place is to update the business section of the Town’s website.
“This is a great place to list your businesses so that residents can find you and learn what you do,” he said. “The listings are now linked to Google Maps, so residents can quickly and easily see exactly where you're located in Paradise.”
Martin said the Town has, in recent years, created a more efficient permitting process that has seen processing times reduced from 32 weeks to 12 weeks. With a focus on what he calls ‘continuous improvement,’ the Town is also implementing new protocols to improve efficiency and transparency, including an upcoming business concierge system and website updates.
“Residents and developers will be able to monitor the status of our applications. You can get the information and updates you need whenever you need them,” he said.
Martin said the Town supports business development in a number of ways, including sponsoring the first year of any Chamber membership, with providing a $100 discount on business taxes to chamber members.
