Those are signs that Brampton’s plans for revitalization of its historic downtown are progressing. But the City is taking no chances, with the creation of the new Central Area Economic Development Program, dedicated to drawing continued residential and commercial investment to the Central Area (which runs from the Queen St. Corridor to Bramalea Rd. in the east, to McLaughlin Rd. to the west).
Overseen by a newly appointed manager, it’s operating as part of the Economic Development Office (33 Queen St. E.) and as a single source of contact and business information for potential investors. Municipal investment in this program is upwards of $225,000 per year in the first three years (with a research assistant also on staff, and a marketing budget of $50,000).
This program’s mandate is to coordinate the attraction and retention of new investors, supported by the Brampton Downtown Business Corporation (BDDC), and the Central Corridor Economic Development Advisory Team (a freshly approved steering committee, which will include seven representatives from Council, including Mayor Susan Fennell, and five from business).
“We believe it will show continued commitment to the development of the Queen St. Corridor,” says Dennis Cutajar, Brampton’s commissioner of economic development. “Investors want to see that commitment.”
“This whole program is to formalize, and bring it all together – planning, economic development, and marketing – all of the key elements.”
Don Eastwood, the city's director of economic development, cites the need for dedicated research and strategy, “to ensure from an economic development standpoint, we can address the potential of the downtown.”
“In conjunction with the Brampton Downtown Development Corporation’s efforts to focus on the downtown, this is just going to strengthen the City’s efforts in terms of revitalizing our central area – the Four Corners, and beyond,” he says.
The Central Area Economic Development Program is premised on the following coordinated functions: business development, marketing, central information contact, competitive policy analysis, business visitation, stakeholder and governance relations, and communication/reporting.
Cutajar explains that by bringing two people into economic development, “we’re able to have dedicated staff with defined budgets working to attract and retain business investment in the downtown.”
“In my opinion, the full-time staff will contribute tremendously to the future of the Corridor,” he says.
“There has been a lot of public and private investment in the whole Corridor. It’s important we keep that momentum going and have as many spinoffs as possible within the Corridor itself.”
Stepping into the role of manager of the Central Area Economic Program is Bob Darling who spent the past two years as an advisor to the City on downtown redevelopment.
“Bob has been excellent in not only raising the profile of the Queen St. Corridor, but he has established an excellent contact network,” Cutajar continues. “He has become the first point of contact. He’s able to bring his contacts internally to city hall, and we provide the rest.”
“He’s our front person, working very closely with economic development and other departments. It’s a team effort.”
Eastwood observes that, “because of Bob’s experience in life as a business owner, he has an understanding of the challenges they face. And he understands the city.”
“Bob’s duties revolve around investment attraction, business development, policy development, and project facilitation of new and redevelopment,” he continues. “And Brampton is arguably an area with some of the richest potential of any Golden Horseshoe area for urban new development.”
Economic activities undertaken by the City over the past few years have included: networking with property/business owners and economic development enablers such as consultants, planners, site selectors and architects; regular business visitations; research and providing comments on policy; liasing with other departments on project planning; coordinating public relations activities with businesses; promoting the opportunities within the Queen Street corridor to target audiences; collecting and distributing information/statistics on market and real estate conditions; liasing with external and internal stakeholders, such as the Mayor’s Round Table, BDDC, and Commissioners; and fulfilling and tracking attraction and retention inquiries.
Eastwood suggests that such exciting developments as the arrival of residential infrastructure, the Rose Theatre, and the start of the Acceleride transit program “are contributing to make Brampton, we think, a pretty exciting destination for development.”
And now the City has put together a program to really make it happen.
“It really is going to be a total team effort, to present Brampton as a destination for urban new living,” he continues. “There may be a lot of people who never thought of Brampton as a candidate for the downtown lifestyle. In fact, there always has been. We’re going to make an effort to make sure more people know about it.”
“We want to ensure the downtown is not just about residential – that it’s about making it a new destination for employment as well, to draw new office and commercial to the downtown. What we’re trying to do is create a new live/work environment in downtown Brampton. It’s adding to the vitality of the downtown and helps address the overwhelming environmental concerns people have here. How can I contribute to the solution.”
Cutajar agrees that, in the broader GTA context, the Brampton city centre is still a relatively low-profile destination.
“That’s absolutely true,” he says. “That was another element for creating the formal position in city hall. The downtown corridor, its profile, needs awareness in the marketplace beyond Brampton. That’s both a challenge and an opportunity.”
“We need to break through the Corridor, and get the word out. So having the full-time dedicated staff is key.”
“It involves many departments, it’s not just economic development. The City is moving forward as a team.”
He notes the planning department is coming out with a draft visioning document for the Queen St. Corridor, which will be addressed by the new steering committee in the early fall.
Meanwhile, the City’s AcceleRide Bus Rapid Transit program continues to take shape after the federal and provincial governments stepped forward with a combined $200 million in funding.
Since 2005 Brampton Transit has hiked service levels by more than 50 per cent, while moving from a hub to grid system.
Slated for completion by 2021, the two-phase AcceleRide project will feature a BRT System running along Brampton’s key transportation corridors, linking the downtown to the north and west areas of the city, as well as to Mississauga and York Region.
“There’s a relationship between rapid transit and high density development along transit corridors,” Cutajar comments. “And AcceleRide is a very good program. It connects into a regional GTA network. That’s the key. That we believe will generate a high level of development -- office, residential, and mixed use.”
