Expanded BIA faces growing pains
It was a nervous few days for Regal Heights Village Business Improvement Association chair Sarah Lockett.
Hosting a mixer on Aug. 19 at Regal Heights Bistro, Lockett was concerned no one would come to celebrate the BIA’s expansion.
“As a bigger BIA, there’s a bigger budget and more grants available from the city that we can access,” she said the day before the mixer. “As the chair of the BIA my focus is the little 85–90 stores that we have in this area, which is Westmount to Oakwood.”
But a day before the big day, she had only received four RSVPs and things were not looking bright for a BIA hammered by the St. Clair right-of-way, she said.
“People are just so despondent because of the right-of-way, the crucifixion of our area,” she said. “It’s absolutely outrageous what has been allowed to happen to this area of St. Clair.”
Also the founder of the Ontario School of Ballet, Lockett said the lack of accessibility to her business and others is an impediment to an otherwise thriving local economy.
“The sidewalk being down, a lot of our kids walk and with the construction and the barricades they’re coming from the school directly across the road. They have to walk down to Dufferin and walk all the way back,” she said. “It’s a great inconvenience for all of us.”
And she believes that it isn’t over just yet.
“I think it will probably be spring 2010 (before the project is completed), which will give us an even five straight years of construction with potholes, sidewalks you can’t walk on, streets you can’t cross, no parking,” she said. “It would’ve been devastating if they had done it in a year, but to drag it on for five, it’s just outlandish.”
Her concerns were paved over though with 25–30 new members of the BIA coming out to mingle.
The mixer was a culmination of city council’s decision in January to expand the BIA three blocks east from Glenholme Ave. to Oakwood Ave.
“It was really neat just the camaraderie and the coming together,” she said the day after. “We had the cleaners, a couple of variety stores all coming together.”
With the good turnout though, Lockett said it will take a lot of blood, sweat and tears to help get the businesses back on their feet after construction on St. Clair Ave. West is done.
“I wouldn’t say there was renewed optimism,” Lockett said. “There was a coming together of minds — a soulful, crying on each others’ shoulders.
“I think the next one I have will be called a brainstorming, and have people come with different ideas,” she said.