Folks at City Hall have a new hot topic of discussion now that the Credit Union CUPlex is finished.
That topic is the proposed downtown business improvement district.
The good news is that we are actually talking about improving the downtown. That's progress, because for the longest time the talk we heard was complaining about run-down properties and pigeon-do on the streets.
In the past several weeks, we've heard presentations and proposals at City Hall about what needs to be done to set up a successful BID, as well as how to fund its operations.
Right now it looks like a levy will be imposed as part of the property tax bill for businesses in the BID area. But there has also been talk about alternative funding models, such as bringing back parking meters to the downtown and having that revenue go towards the BID operations as a way to make the levy more reasonable.
All this talk is a step in the right direction. Folks at City Hall are taking their time to make sure all the implications are considered so the BID will be a success.
I'm going to offer some thoughts about the BID and what should be done, from a perspective that cannot be ignored in this process - that of Joe Public.
My main thought is that I want to see results that work not only for businesses in the downtown but customers as well.
I've seen the positive impact BID areas have had in other cities, particularly around Broadway Avenue in Saskatoon.
Broadway used to be a crime-ridden dump. In fact, at one point the Broadway Theatre was so bad that it used to run X-rated movies all the time.
Not anymore. Not only is the Broadway Theatre a lively showcase for the arts these days, but the whole district is now filled with restaurants, bars, entertainment and stores. It is a lively go-to place for nightlife in Saskatoon.
If you want a model for what to do with downtown North Battleford, I say look at Broadway and think about doing something similar - at least in terms of more entertainment options and more restaurants. (Bars, though, we could do without.)
I have also seen for myself the BID efforts in Riversdale.
I'm sorry, but Riversdale is still a long way from being the model for what North Battleford should do. Yes, they closed two infamous hotels, but Riversdale is still overrun with pawnshops, second-hand stores, and criminals.
Sound familiar? Surely, we can do better than that.
Now, I want to say a few words about parking meters, and the whole idea of paying for parking.
My experience is that paying for parking is really annoying. When I lived in Toronto it was always a big hassle going downtown due to the parking situation. In fact, even with meters, it was impossible to find parking spots because it was so crowded with everyone working there. I usually ended up parking in expensive paid parking lots for at least five bucks a pop.
That was on cheap days. On days when the Maple Leafs or Blue Jays were playing at arenas and stadiums nearby, the downtown parking lots would hike their prices up to a flat rate of 10 bucks or more, minimum, just to gouge the fans.
The parking costs were usually so bad that I ended up taking public transit to downtown, because it was always cheaper than paying for parking.
My other comment goes back to something said about Saskatoon's downtown BID at council a few weeks ago. It was mentioned there was a conscious decision in Saskatoon for downtown to be a centre for the arts. That was why the massive Galaxy cinema complex is downtown instead of the edge of the city.
Was that a good move for downtown? Yes. Downtown Saskatoon is now filled with vibrant businesses.
Was it good for moviegoers? Absolutely not, because we are getting hosed for parking!
Prices for the Galaxy are ridiculous to begin with, with inflated prices for 3D, popcorn, drinks, pizza, and the rest of it. Everyone in Canada has to put up with this nonsense, but in Saskatoon, folks must also put up with an additional cost - parking. There's no free parking anywhere near the Galaxy - not even in their own parking lot!
When I lived in Ontario and Manitoba, they had massive cinema multiplexes located in the suburbs, and parking lots where everyone could park for free.
In Saskatoon, because the Galaxy is downtown where there is no free parking, you either must fork over extra money for parking, or you can forget about seeing the movie.
The added cost is enough reason why I won't go to many movies there, just on principle.
In fact, Saskatoon is lucky not to have put their arena downtown. The cost of going to games would have been through the roof.
Anyway, the powers that be in North Battleford have heard plenty from downtown businesses, consultants and experts about the BID. As for me, I'm the expert when it comes to paying for parking.
My expert opinion is it is a disincentive to customers if they must pay for parking. Think long and hard about whether you really want North Battleford to go this route, because to me the big winners look like Territorial Place Mall, Frontier Mall and Walmart.
Like I said before - I'm all in favour of revitalizing the downtown. It doesn't hurt to take some time to consider all the options and implications and do the BID right. By all means, though, consider the perspective of the customers, because ultimately downtown revitalization is about them.
