This is interesting. The Roncesvalles Village Business Improvement Association (RVBIA) is asking Roncesvalles Avenue businesses that are not currently part of the RVBIA—because they are located north of Hewitt Avenue and south of Galley—to join up and become a member. The letter below explains why. Briefly, the main motivation is that the city is setting this as a requirement for the upcoming Roncesvalles Avenue “beautification program” that will coincide with the upcoming street work.

To quote John Bowker, a RVBIA board member and owner of She Said Boom!, “the City informs us that in order to benefit fully from the beautification program, the northern and southern businesses need to become part of the BIA.” I am not sure what “benefit fully” actually means, but I will try and get more details from the RBVIA and post them here early next week. Here is John’s full letter:

I met with Councillor Sylvia Watson on May 1, along with several other departments and agencies (such as TTC, Enbridge, Works, and others) who have work planned for Roncesvalles. Our hope is that all these projects can be coordinated, so that the street will experience only one disruption instead of several.

The reconstruction will also include a beautification component. Some ideas include expanding the sidewalks onto the side streets, allowing for more public space, tree plantings and decorative paving treatments. There is also the possibility of getting rid of the concrete “tree coffins,” which so many have complained about. There are more details on the BIA’s website. The BIA also has funds available for streetscape improvements, to be cost-shared with the City.

As you know, the BIA’s current boundaries end at Hewitt at the north and Galley at the south. Since 2003, it has been official BIA policy to seek the expansion of the BIA in order to properly represent the entire length of Roncesvalles. However, the 2007 project adds some urgency: the City informs us that in order to benefit fully from the beautification program, the northern and southern businesses need to become part of the BIA.

The BIA has already met a number of northern and southern businesses who have expressed an interest in joining the BIA. If there are other businesses who interested, I would urge them to contact the BIA immediately. BIA expansion depends ENTIRELY on the support of these businesses, and if they wish to play their proper role in the City’s reconstruction/ beautification project, they will need to take action now.

The BIA has recently struck a BIA Expansion Committee to work with interested northern and southern businesses, and it will be visiting these businesses over the next several weeks. The BIA is also ready to answer any questions or concerns about what BIA expansion would mean for them.

Cheers
John Bowker
Roncesvalles BIA
(She Said Boom! 393 Roncesvalles)