Province gives 13 BIAs, the city’s ‘heartbeat,’ $483,103

The provincial government is providing Hamilton with $483,103 in funding to be allocated to the city’s 13 business improvement areas.

Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale MPP Ted McMeekin, along with Mayor Fred Eisenberger, announced the funding at the Concession Street BIA office Wednesday morning.

The funding is part of the province’s $40-million commitment from its three-year Main Street Enhancement Initiative and is allocated to municipalities based on population.

“This is to improve the BIA areas to make them even more desirable places to come,” said McMeekin.

McMeekin and Eisenberger said the funding announcement had been planned prior to the vandalism that occurred along Locke Street on March 3, causing an estimated $100,000 in damage.

“We love Locke Street,” said Eisenberger. “But we also love Concession Street, we care about Waterdown, Stoney Creek and Ottawa Street.”

Eisenberger said small businesses are the “heartbeat of our city. We want them to prosper.”

City officials said the plan is to have all the BIAs decide how to administer the funding and how they will use it. The funding, said McMeekin, is available immediately and there is no deadline for it to be used.

“There is always stuff we can do,” said Christina Geissler, executive director of the Concession Street BIA.

“We can do things to calm traffic. That would be great. If we can do things like implement antigraffiti projects to safeguard our neighbourhood, that would be great too.”

Officials said the money could be directed toward cleaning up an area, improving businesses facades, installing lighting and crafting landscapes.

“How that money is distributed and what we will ask for remains to be seen,” said Geissler.

“All the BIAs are different. It depends on what is the right fit.”

Geissler said Concession Street hasn’t been healthier, especially after the $10-million construction project along the street that included major road, water and sidewalk construction in 20142015.

She said there has been an upward trend within the BIA, with properties being scooped up by anxious buyers.

Over the next few weeks there will be six new businesses opening up, including a toy store, belly dancing business, a beauty clinic and marijuana dispensary.

“It is definitely an exciting time,” she said.