The NW Progressives will actively work to support the growth and financial sustainability of local businesses of all sizes. As a team, we commit to:
- Providing one-hour free parking in our main commercial districts and two hours of free parking for no carbon emission vehicles as part of a pilot project.
- Working with Metro Vancouver to ensure that any major capital improvement projects undertaken in our city takes into account the possible negative impacts to local businesses.
- Engaging with other business districts to determine feasibility of expanding the number of Business Improvement Areas (BIA) throughout the city.
- Proactively supporting the formal development of a Metro Vancouver regional economic development strategy that provides incentives to create jobs and maintain a competitive tax structure.
- Undertaking a ‘Re-imagine Columbia Street’ initiative with a goal of attracting a more diverse group of retail merchants that will help to better animate the streetscape and revitalize the local economy.
- Developing a timely, streamlined and more cost-effective process for business permit applications. This process would include a new ‘one-staff interface’ model allowing for much easier access to city programs and services for individuals wanting to set up shop in New Westminster.
- Supporting the efforts by our local BIAs to market and encourage residents to ‘shop local’.
- Marketing and promoting our unique position as the home to Douglas College to encourage graduates to consider New Westminster as their permanent home or place to set up and do business.
- Supporting more street festivals as a means to expose our local businesses to a wider regional audience.
- Working with landowners to reduce the number of vacant and underutilized buildings by at least 25% in our first term. This includes exploring incentives and legislative authority to accelerate the development of vacant ‘abandoned’ properties in critical commercial hubs including 12th Street and Columbia Street.
Read our News Release HERE.