SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 1
CS&B COMMITTEE AGENDA
FEBRUARY 29, 1996
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: February 14, 1996
TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM: Director of City Plans
SUBJECT: BIA Grant Request -
Theatre Row Business Association
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council apply on behalf of the Theatre Row Business
Association to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs for a BIA
Start-up Grant of $5,000.
B. THAT, upon confirmation by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs
that a $5,000 grant will be provided, Council advance $5,000
to the Theatre Row Business Association, to be recovered
from the provincial grant.
MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of
A and B.
COUNCIL POLICY
Since 1990, Council has forwarded BIA Start-up grant requests to the
Ministry of Municipal Affairs, which provides $5,000 for this purpose.
To date, the City has not advanced funds to a business association,
which has received ministerial confirmation of a provincial BIA Start-
up Grant, but is waiting for the funds.
On July 30, 1992, Council approved the process of establishing a BIA
as described in the attached Appendix A.
BACKGROUND ON BIA GRANTS
In 1990, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs began providing BIA Start-
up Grants. Originally these grants subsidized 50% of start up costs,
up to a maximum of $10,000. A number of Vancouver business
associations have received provincial BIA start-up grants, i.e.,
Kerrisdale $3,000, Robson $5,000, Yaletown $5,000, Chinatown $10,000.
In 1995 the maximum available from Municipal Affairs for a BIA start-
up grant was reduced from $10,000 to $5,000.
BACKGROUND ON EXISTING BIAs ON THE DOWNTOWN PENINSULA
Currently, there are three BIAs on the downtown peninsula. These
include the Downtown Vancouver BIA, the Robson Street BIA, and the
Gastown BIA. Two of these BIAs, Downtown and Robson Street, have been
considering expansions to their boundaries. In addition to the
existing BIAs, the business associations in Yaletown and Chinatown
have been approved by Council as BIA Sponsors in their commercial
neighbourhoods. A map showing the existing BIAs, their proposed
expansions, and the two areas where BIA Sponsors have been approved,
is attached as Appendix B.
PROPOSAL BY THE THEATRE ROW BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
The Theatre Row Business Association (TRBA) formed as a society in
1993. The Association's thirty-five members are business and property
owners located on Granville Street in Downtown South. The proposed
BIA boundaries for what the TRBA refers to as "The Entertainment
District" are described in Appendix C. These boundaries extend beyond
the TRBA's current geographic area. The Association's intention is to
develop a coordinated effort to market the area as an entertainment
district, an important gateway to downtown Vancouver, and a commercial
neighbourhood serving the surrounding residential area.
The TRBA has requested that Council apply to the Ministry of Municipal
Affairs, on its behalf, for a $5,000 BIA start-up grant. The
Association has also requested that Council advance the $5,000 to the
Board, once ministerial approval has been secured. The Association's
letter is attached as Appendix D. The TRBA would like to use the
start up funds to solidify its current support and to explore the
support of the business community in the larger area outlined in
Appendix C. TRBA members have invested many hours of their time and
have contributed $6,000 towards the cost of a coordinator, who began
work in October of 1995.
The City has invested considerable resources into supporting the
revitalization of Granville, as evidenced by the establish-ment of a
community police office (with the support of area businesses and
residents), and the provision of $55,000 for revitalization studies.
Staff support the effort to initiate a BIA. Granville is in need of
revitalization and the time seems opportune, given the recent cultural
and entertainment development in the area and the growth of the nearby
residential population. Consequently, staff support the TRBA's
request to Council to apply for a Provincial BIA Start-up Grant.
Because the provincial government often takes several months to
forward BIA start up funds, staff support the TRBA's request that
Council advance the amount of the provincial grant, after ministerial
approval has been secured. While an advance of these funds goes beyond
current BIA policy, it would help sustain the momentum created by the
TRBA.
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