Richmond Hill BIA launching website to offer businesses ‘best chances of survival’ in post-COVID-19 era

Residents encouraged to visit site and subscribe to be part of official launch in September

Yorkregion.com
August 28, 2020
Shelia Wang

The business community in downtown Richmond Hill is bracing for the new era with a new look -- online.

The Village of Richmond Hill Business Improvement Area (BIA) is expected to launch a brand-new website Sept. 1 to serve as a digital hub for business owners to post updates and promote specials.

“I’m trying to give all of our businesses the best chances of survival in this post-COVID era,” said Raika Sheppard, vice chair of the board of management of the Richmond Hill Business Improvement Area (BIA).

The website, designed locally, will serve as an online community for BIA business owners to have their individual business pages, and an online directory for residents and visitors to find out what the downtown businesses have to offer, she said.

Once launched, the new BIA site at www.richmondhillbia.com will also feature the programs and events hosted by the city as well as other organizations such as the Centre for the Performing Arts, and Richmond Hill Board of Trade.

“Almost like an event’s calendar for the city,” Sheppard described in an email.

She said it was hoped that the community website would become a platform for people to provide feedback as well.

Residents are encouraged to visit the site and subscribe for the updates to be part of the official launch next month.

Hundreds of businesses -- occupied by surgeons, lawyers as well as unique restaurants and services -- are located in the business area along Yonge Street, north of Major MacKenzie Drive and south of Benson Avenue.

Many of them have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which had forced them to close for months in order to curb the spread of the virus.

As the businesses gradually reopen and try to attract the customers back to the downtown core, the new site is hoped to help prepare the local business to revive in the post-COVID-19 era.