Stouffville says no to Business Improvement Area on Main Street

Only 26% of survey respondents supported idea

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 3, 2019
Simon Martin

After much discussion about a downtown Business Improvement Area for Main Street Stouffville, town council decided Aug. 27 to move forward with the current arrangement of a the Downtown Stouffville Working Group (DSWG) instead of a BIA.

The move came after survey of downtown businesses showed an ambivalence to the creation of a BIA.

In the end, more business owners disagreed, 40 per cent, with the notion of forming a BIA or stated 'not sure' (34 per cent), than agreed (26 per cent) with a transition to a BIA.

In the next couple of years, the town will be investing a considerable sum in capital projects to replace aging infrastructure in the downtown core.

Ward 4 Coun. Rick Upton said his biggest concern with the survey was the apathy from downtown business owners. There was only a 34 per cent response. Upton said the town needs to get businesses more excited and involved in shaping their future.

“I think it is important that we support the downtown,” he said.

Ward 6 Coun. Sue Sherban said she hopes the committee, with a renewed commitment, can make a difference. “I know the Main Street is struggling,” she said. “I know that businesses downtown have been interested and want to do different type of activities.”  

The survey revealed that business owners know about plans for Main Street reconstruction and are worried about it, but they think that it will produce positive results. It is felt that there are too few pedestrians downtown, and that the business mix has become unhealthy. Seventeen per cent of those surveyed said that they are considering moving their business away from downtown, while 26 per cent are unsure.

Staff found that most business owners are aware of the DSWG, yet they remain mostly unaware of the group's activities and accomplishments. The overwhelming majority (91 per cent) of those surveyed believe that there should be an organized effort or group to focus on the health of downtown.

Stouffville had a BIA for the downtown from 1980 to 2009. The town formed the Downtown Stouffville Working Group in 2006, and the BIA was folded into it in 2009.