There will be no Downtown Days this summer

Downtown Days will not happen on July 16.

Queenstown's signature summer party won't happen at all this summer.

The decision to indefinitely postpone the event was made Tuesday night by the Downtown Association's board, to allow its staff to focus exclusively on countering a forced vote to kill the 39-year-old association - Ontario's second-oldest business improvement area (BIA).

With Downtown Days less than six weeks away, the association's events committee recommended putting the party on hold, pointing out that its two staff members were unable to properly coordinate both the event and the fight for the BIA's survival.

Duane Moleni (shown) started work as the Downtown Association's manager just eight weeks ago.

Last night, Moleni admitted that during that time, "I haven't thought once about Downtown Days."

No decision was made last night on the length of the Downtown Days postponement.

The association's events committee will be asked to decide on an alternative date, possibly a fall back-to-school or Soo Greyhounds event or possibly a year from now.

Funds earmarked for the Downtown Days promotion will be kept in the budget, but the event will be postponed until the vote on repealing the BIA bylaw and dissolving the Downtown Association is taken in July, and City Council deals with the issue in August.

It should be known by August 19 whether the Downtown Association will survive, Moleni said.

The board expects many will be upset that there will be no Downtown Days this summer.

Board member Grace Tridico suggested that downtown businesses call their landlords to express concern.

The Downtown Association is also willing to help Individual businesses organize their own events, like the street party this past weekend recognizing the 25th anniversary of Reggie’s Place.

At last night's meeting, there were numerous references to a remark made by Mayor Christian Provenzano to SooToday's Kenneth Armstrong at the Reggie's celebration: “I love seeing people on Queen Street and I love seeing people socializing. It’s a happy event."

The drive to kill the Downtown Association is spearheaded by Dominic Ruscio, owner of the Day's Inn and Suites at 332 Bay Street.

Ruscio has support from downtown hotels, Station Mall and the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre.

The list of property owners who've signed requests to repeal the Downtown Association is a veritable Who's Who of local business, including Sam Biasucci, Gino Biasucci, Peter Stone, Nadia Sartor, Chintan Patel, Rob DiRenzo, Terry Rainone, James McAuley, George Shunock and Sam Butkovich.

The Downtown Association is fighting back, with meetings scheduled this week with downtown business and property owners, Mayor Christian Provenzano and representatives of the Municipal Property  Assessment Corp.

Last night, the association board approved a hand-out that will be hand-delivered to downtown businesses.

It claims the following:

• 30 businesss have opened on Queen Street in the last two years,
• 20,000 people connected and participated in events and festivals on Queen Street in 2014.
• Staff and community contributed 500 volunteer hours in 2014.
• The association's administrative costs dropped seven percent this year.
• $15,000 in-kind sponsorship and support from community partners.

"Now is not the time to be disbanding and building silos between the various business sectors on the street," the hand-out warns.

"We all have a vested interest in seeing Queen Street go from strength to strength and be the epicentre of all things good in this community."

In other news, the Downtown Association board voted Tuesday night to break its $10,000 advertising contract with Rogers Radio (KISS 100.5, Country 104.3).

The Ontario Sault radio stations, which account for almost half the $21,800 spent annually by the association for marketing and communications, were providing few quantifiable benefits, Moleni claimed.

The Downtown Association's communications committee recommended cancelling the Rogers contract.

The money saved is expected to be diverted to other advertising media.

(FILE PHOTO: Downtown Association Manager Duane Moleni. David Helwig/SooToday.)

Earlier SooToday coverage of this story