Council revives downtown: BIA managing Brampton’s core

NRU
April 29, 2015
Leah Wong

To clarify its role, Brampton council is reviving the Brampton Downtown Business Association to replace the Brampton Downtown Development Corporation.

The decision to revert back to a business improvement area was finalized by council at its April 22 meeting. The city had started assessing the function of the BDDC in 2013 when Malone Given Parsons was hired to undertake a strategic review of the corporation. Subsequently, in February, council voted to dissolve the BDDC and begin the transition to a BIA in February.

“The [review] and subsequent stakeholder consultation concluded that the BDDC was active in delivering the business improvement services component of its mandate,” spokesperson Megan Ball said in an email to NRU. “[Thus] in many respects, the transition to an official BIA will be business as usual for the downtown.”

Formed in 2006, the mandate of the BDDC was twofold. It was to revitalize the city’s core by attracting new businesses and investment in residential, commercial and institutional development and it was to undertake BIA-type functions such as beatification and business promotion.

While the BDDC had been successful in its latter role, the report from Malone Given Parsons said it had not fulfilled its development mandate. The report noted that this hybrid model had failed, in part, because the “governance, management and financial resources required to successfully engage in real estate development are very different from those required of a BIA.”

Consulted throughout the review process, Ball said stakeholders advocated that promoting the BIA as a shopping and business district would lead to better engagement and growth in the downtown.

“We believe a re-invigorated BIA for Brampton’s downtown will bring significant benefits for business and for the [city],” Councillor Jeff Bowman said in a media release. “The profile, growth and development of Brampton’s downtown are priorities for us.”

Improving the profile of downtown Brampton is one of council’s 2015 strategic priorities. To that end, the council has approved a transition plan and appointed a transitional board of management. It has also offered in-kind professional services and staff to support the BIA through its transition period.

The transitional board of management is now in the process of preparing a 2015 business plan and budget for council consideration. It will oversee the selection of directors to be recommended for council appointment to the 2016 board of management.

Councillors Bowman, Grant Gibson, Martin Mederios and Elaine Moore, who represent the downtown neighbourhoods, will serve as the council representatives on the transitional board of management until year end. Also serving on the transitional board are Pulis Investment Group president Kyle Pulis, Investors Group regional director Andrew Mackenzie, Harmsworth Decorating Centre owner David Harmsworth, landscape architect Don Naylor, Custodio’s Photography Studio owner Herman Custodio and Wee Smoke Shop owner Peeyush Gupta.