Mayor Provenzano's downtown action plan

Mayor Christian Provenzano says downtown needs more attention and money from the city.

Regardless of how the current campaign to dissolve the Downtown Assocation turns out, Provenzano is promising to make the core area a priority in the coming year, particularly throughout 2016, his second year in office.

"I'm of the same mind as you are, that our downtown needs the city's attention," the mayor told a city council meeting last night.

"Not just the Downtown Association's attention. It needs the city's attention," he said.

Provenzano was responding to a presentation from local lawyer Joe Bisceglia, who called for the city to abolish the 39-year-old business improvement area and set up a committee responsible for revitalizing and protecting the downtown.

Today is the deadline for business and property owners to advise the city that they want to dissolve the Downtown Association.

City Clerk Malcolm White has advised SooToday that it will take a number of days to confirm the vote because tax records must be consulted.

Bisceglia told councillors that regardless of whether the petition campaign succeeds, political will and dollars must be invested in the downtown.

"I don't want to be the last one here when the lights go out downtown," Bisceglia said.

Provenzano responded: "I'm sure the planning staff would be quick to tell you that since I was elected mayor, I've spent quite a bit of time with them raising these issues and talking about them, right down to some of the issues you've raised tonight, specifically with respect to Bay Street.

"We've had that conversation about whether we still need all of those lanes of traffic. And if we didn't need those lanes of traffic, when that could be adjusted, if it was determined it was adjustable," the mayor said.

Provenzano said he's had discussions with city planners about his concern that "the downtown seems to be segmented."

"This will be a priority for me over the coming year, particularly the second year of my mandate. I did raise these issues when I ran. I specifically discussed how we more or less excavated our downtown and watched a lot of the public institutions we had down there move. It needs our time and our attention. I plan on giving it quite a bit of my time and attention as 2016 nears and through 2016."

"We'll see how this vote goes," the mayor said. "You certainly have my commitment to work with you to address some of these issues."

Provenzano expressed concern that the city planning department doesn't have a budget beyond its own salaries.

"That's something that I was planning on having this council tackle for the 2016 year, to see what kinds of funds we can afford to allocate to some downtown initiatives. One of the reasons why I wanted to push a spending review is to hopefully find some funds in the current levy, so we don't have to out there and hit the taxpayer again. I think this project's going to need some resources and it's going to need some professional staff time and my mind's there and hopefully this council and I will move in that direction and we'll start doing some positive things for the downtown," the mayor said.

Meanwhille, the Downtown Association sent the following statement today to its members about the dissolution campaign:

We will inform you of the outcome and what that means for all concerned.
 
Duane Moleni
Manager, Downtown Association