Branding North America’s biggest BIA
Vast, varied Emery Village hasn’t found its focal point quite yet
The Emery Village BIA’s defining feature — it’s the biggest Business Improvement Area in North America — is also its Achilles heel.
The 26-square-kilometre district is so vast and varied that it’s hard to pin down. Bounded by Steeles and Wilson Aves., Weston Rd. and Hwy. 400, this northwest corner of Toronto doesn’t appear to fit the BIA mould of pedestrian-friendly retail, foodie havens and cultural destinations.
But Emery Village contains some of those elements — and more. They’re just less obvious given the ugly tracts of industry and commerce standing cheek-by-jowl with residences and small businesses.
“People associate BIAS with traditional retail strip components, like Eglinton, St. Clair, etc., but the legislation way back in 1970 foresaw, when the BIA concept was initiated, the ability for industrial areas to apply the same things,” said John Kiru, executive director of the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas.
“BIA legislation under the Municipal Act speaks to taxable or rate-paying businesses, whether they’re industrial or commercial, that could be members of a BIA.”
Established in 2003, the Emery Village BIA has a $3-million operating budget, slightly less than that of Downtown Yonge, and nearly eight times what Little Italy spends.
Emery Village executives do all the typical BIA things — beautification, branding, marketing — but have one significant expense unique amongst such enterprises: security.
The organization spends more than $300,000 annually on a private firm that patrols the district nightly in three vehicles.
“It’s more of a want than a need,” said BIA executive director Sandra Farina of the program, which emphasizes prevention over enforcement. “It’s something the businesses felt was a priority for them. Toronto police can’t be everywhere, and industrial areas tend to have tractor trailers, stored materials, metals. They’re more high-risk areas.”
The BIA hopes the high-density residential devel- opment going up at bustling Weston Rd. and Finch Ave. will give the district both a facelift and a focal point. It’s the natural heart of the neighbourhood and where the original Emery village was established in 1879.
“It means new families; families that are prepared to spend money, boost the local economy,” said BIA project manager Al Ruggero of the mixed-use, nine-building, 1,400-unit Casa condos going up on the southeast corner. He hopes the enterprise will also trigger retail expansion, like a chain supermarket, of which the community is bereft.
Emery Village is home to 2,500 businesses employing more than 25,000 full and part-time employees. This includes the Irving Tissue and Home Depot warehouses; a Ministry of Transportation facility and city transit and recycling depots.
When it comes to issues such as parking and congestion, the BIA often serves as a buffer between businesses, which pay $150 to $12,000 for membership annually in a levy collected by the city, and residents, whom executives say benefit from the security and commercial activity.
“There’s a growing awareness of the importance of maintaining employment areas; they’re providing not always jobs for the immediate community, but they benefit from it,” said Ruggero. “Neglected areas are ones that you see vacancies in. We’re trying to keep our area attractive to businesses.” Top-spending BIAS in Toronto: 1. Toronto Entertainment District: $3,550,416 2. Downtown Yonge: $3,247,455 3. Bloor-Yorkville: $3,115, 887 4. Emery Village: $3,000,618 5. Bloor St.: $2,816,170
(2015 expenditure estimates)