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Past Projects Safety and Security (ongoing - updated July 2009)
In March of 2009, the HMA conducted a workshop on addressing the issue of counterfeit currency. The workshop clarified and taught merchants how to identify counterfeit bills, and taught them what do should this situation occur. East of Willingdon Revitalization (ongoing - updated August 2009)
Thanks to recent rezoning, the area east of Willingdon now has a great opportunity for positive change over the years ahead.
After at least three years of advocacy work by the HMA, surveying merchants and residents, and communicating to the City what our vision for the area was, our efforts finally bore fruit on April 7, 2008.
After the City’s public consultation proved that the majority of residents and merchants wanted to see change, City Council voted in favour of rezoning to allow a maximum of four-storey mixed use buildings and to allow a wider range of retail. Previously, only two-storeys were permitted, and generally only service commercial was allowed – not retail. Both of these factors had hampered development, business investment, and pedestrian traffic for years.
We will update this web page when we have more
information to report. Please call our office for details.
For more info on other
Heights Physical Improvement initiatives, please click here.
Business Crime Prevention Strategy Working Group (Fall 2007)
The
City of Burnaby has assembled a Business Crime
Prevention Strategy Working Group to analyse Burnaby's business crime and
security issues. One of the HMA's Board members is serving on this committee.
If you are a property or business owner of the Heights business district and
want to pass on your concerns to the City's committee, please call our office
and let us know.
International Downtown Association Conference (Sept. 2007)
On
behalf of the HMA, and for the benefit of the Heights area, the HMA sent its
executive director to the International Downtown Association conference in New York City this year. There,
professionals who work in business improvement areas (or districts, as they are
called in the US), gathered to share
ideas, best practices, and spend an intensive 5 days in workshops and
informative district tours. The executive director was able to gather ideas and
inspiration from other areas in Canada, the USA and Europe, which she has brought
back to the Heights with her. If you would like to hear more about this, please
call the HMA office. HOV Lane Removal and Advocacy (ongoing - updated Fall 2007)
Since the
1996 implementation of the HOV Lane, rush hour effectively transforms
Hastings Street from a neighbourhood retail district into a freeway,
and encourages a freeway commuter mentality in those driving through
the Heights. In February 2007 the HMA made a presentation to the City
of Burnaby Transportation Committee. City Council
subsequently suggested that the problem be further examined with the
intention of arriving at some eventual solutions.
Efforts
continue to educate Council members on our struggles. City staff
have made us aware of the fact that Hastings Street may be under the
authority of the City of Burnaby, but changes to its capacity must be
approved by Translink. This does not preclude the opportunity and
challenge to be creative and think of new ways to move people on feet
and in cars in a way that truly reflects a growing and vibrant
community... and not resort to transportation tools that are best used
on a designated freeway.
The HMA continues to study and support positive transportation alternatives, and work with City council and staff.
Customers Survey (Summer 2006)
In the Summer
2006, the HMA hired Bengtson Market Research Ltd (a professional market
research firm) to interview 225 localized customers to find out what
they like and don't like about shopping in the Heights, where our
competition is, opportunities for growth, and much more. If you are an
HMA member and would like to learn more about the findings, please
contact our office. The survey results are going to be used for
internal marketing decision-making and business recruitment strategies.
2005 Members Survey
In August and
September 2005, the HMA hired Bengtson Market Research Ltd. to survey
our members. All ~500 members were contacted, and 93 members were able
to complete the whole survey (representing approximately 14% of our
membership). They told us what we were doing well, what challenges they
were experiencing, what they would like us to focus our work on for the
next few years, and much more. 84% of these members told us that the HMA is effective in the work we do. If you are a property owner or merchant and would like more details about our survey, or have any comments or concerns, please Contact Us. We'd be happy to provide you more details.
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