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One-stop shopping for economic incentives speeds
<br /> development and revitalizes Canadian community's downtown 0
<br /> A streamlined process for clean up graffiti and streets, worked waiving of development charges.
<br /> assisting developers and offering with bar owners and the police to Here are some highlights of the
<br /> economic incentives has led to a deal with drunken rowdies," he package:
<br /> burst of new development in recalls. •The tax rebate offered by the
<br /> Kitchener, Ontario, Canada (pop. city, equal to 50 percent of the city's
<br /> 200,000). Self-supporting facade
<br /> improvement program portion of the property tax increase
<br /> "We have adopted a `One Stop attributed to the improvements,is
<br /> Shopping' approach, where one They also kick-started a finan valid for three years, starting in the
<br /> person coordinates, based on clear- cial incentive program. The first
<br /> p year following occupancy.
<br /> ly established guidelines and pro- piece of the economic incentive
<br /> strategy was a Loan •The funding for feasibility
<br /> cedures," says Wayne Pearce, gy studies, equal to 50 percent of the
<br /> architectural technologist and Program. Launched in 1992, it is
<br /> loans/incentives coordinator for the now a(CAN) $2 million self-sup- value of the study up to $10,000, is
<br /> city of Kitchener. "Some projects porting fund that intended to support
<br /> move at light speed, so you must provides financial the renovation and
<br /> y P
<br /> b P "The entire focus of conversion of target-
<br /> have a flexible system to keep up assistance to the
<br /> with them. Otherwise, you're part owners of down- City Hall was switched ed adaptive reuse
<br /> I
<br /> of the problem." regulator projects.town commercial from that of a
<br /> properties who of red tape to a cooper- •All municipal
<br /> Planning decisions application fees for
<br /> favored the periphery want to make ating service provider.” demolition and
<br /> The incentive program improvements to building peunits, fb
<br /> launched in the mid-1990s, after a either the exterior
<br /> or interior of their buildings. For site plan approvals, occupancy cer-
<br /> few boom decades were followed b ' tificates, and sign permits are eligi-
<br /> by an economic bust, Pearce says. any one municipal address, the
<br /> maximum loan is (CAN) $7,500 ble for rebate by the city upon final
<br /> At that time, "many planning deci- ( ) $ 500 for inspection of the completed project
<br /> sions favored development on the the exterior and an additional
<br /> and with approval of council.
<br /> periphery rather than in the down- (CAN) $7,500 for the interior.
<br /> town," he says, and downtown fell Larger buildings with more than Change in attitude
<br /> into a combination of empty store- one tenant are assessed on an indi- Economic incentives aside,
<br /> fronts, high vacancy rates for office vidual basis, with a maximum of Pearce says perhaps the most
<br /> and retail, run-down buildings, (CAN) $45,000 for any one owner. important part of the program is
<br /> absentee landlords, and an over- The city forgives 15 percent of the the attitude of the municipal gov-
<br /> abundance of marginalized people, loan, and interest rates are fixed at ernment. "The entire focus of City
<br /> he recalls. 8 percent for the five-year term of Hall was switched from that of a
<br /> In the mid-1990s, a new mayor the loan. regulator of red tape to a cooperat-
<br /> refocused strategies to revitalize ing service provider," Pearce says.
<br /> Broad package
<br /> downtown, creating a task force to "For example, our building inspec-
<br /> of problems and solutions of financial incentives tion staff is available to meet with
<br /> This program was followed in
<br /> ranging from reversing one-way potential developers to review
<br /> streets, forming partnerships with 1996 by some planning concessions existing buildings and discuss
<br /> arts groups, and building new park- relating to park dedication fees and building code issues
<br /> ing garages. "We encouraged local parking requirements, followed in The formula seems to be
<br /> ownership and control, went 1997 by a package of incentives working. The latest in a string of •
<br /> through the downtown enforcing including tax rebates, funding for new projects is the Kitchener
<br /> property standards and fire safety feasibility studies, rebates for build- Market. Currently under construc-
<br /> requirements, used city crews to ing permits and planning fees, and tion, it's a joint venture with con-
<br /> 6 • Downtown Idea Exchange • September 1, 2002
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