James Fleming has a vision of opening a place in Campbell River where kids can be kids.
His goal is to open a smoothie/ice cream/coffee bar that can double as a hangout for 11- to- 17-year-olds. If this comes to fruition, it will include music, video games, lounge area, air hockey table, TV, and pool table.
Fleming is leasing the former Jolly Giant store at 491 7th Avenue.
He’s calling it ‘The Spot’ and says it will provide a clean, safe place for youth to hang out where they’re not influenced by drugs and alcohol.
“(We’ll) give it a cool, younger-person kind of vibe,” Fleming said.
He said he just got his lease a few days ago. Fleming also realizes that it isn’t a sure thing.
“It is in the process,” Fleming said. “Nothing is ever guaranteed with the city. You’ve just got to wait for them to give you the ‘Yes.’ I’ve been in talks with the health board, they know what I’m doing so they are just waiting for me to get the final print of what we’re doing. Once that’s done they come and do the inspection. I’m waiting to hear back from the city but the application’s in.”
Fleming said there isn’t enough for kids to do in the city.
“I’m trying to make a place where the kids can go, hang out, act like kids, if they get loud it doesn’t really matter because this is a place for that,” Fleming said.
This has been two years in the making. Fleming said it’s taken a while to do research and fine-tune his idea, and he said he “finally decided to pull the trigger on it once I found the building.”
Renovations are underway with a target opening date of spring break.
His projected hours are 8:00am to 9:00pm, seven days a week.
Fleming has hired a graffiti artist to spray paint the company name and a couple of murals on the wall.
“Just make it young, hip, liven it up a little bit, clean it up,” he added.
Fleming, who is a dad to 12- and- 14-year-olds, said the city is sorely lacking a hangout.
He said Campbell River’s landscape has changed over the years.
“When I grew up we had an arcade, we had the youth centre, we had pool parlours… we had places to go when I grew up in Campbell River,” Fleming said.
“Fast forward 30 years (and) there’s nothing for the kids, anymore.”
Fleming stressed that if it opens, ‘The Spot’ won’t be a free-for-all: “It’s not going to be somewhere where kids can come and wrestle and do that kind of dumb stuff.”
He adds that kids drinking or under the influence will be banned.
“I want a place where parents could feel comfortable dropping their kids off knowing that their kids aren’t going inside and being around people that are drinking in here,” Fleming said. “That’s not what I’m going for. I’m trying to make a place that parents could feel comfortable that their kids aren’t going to a place that will allow that. I’m not going to turn a blind eye towards that stuff.”
