2009 09 29 |
In June of this year, HRM passed the Downtown’s new development plan, HRM by Design. This is not unique to our city. In fact, in a recent survey of over 50 Canadian downtown organizations, 80% stated that their city had a specific downtown development plan, the majority of which were created or updated in the last five years. However, only 17% of those cities’ downtown organizations felt that the plan was being well implemented. The Downtown Halifax Business Commission remains dedicated to the implementation of this plan, and firmly believes that the downtown is the economic, cultural and historical heart of the HRM and the province. We stand now at the starting blocks of an economic development race that other Canadian cities have already begun. Do the private and public sectors have the fortitude to implement the plan, to allow it to reach its highest ideals? We now have the framework that will allow us to revitalize our downtown core. We can wait no longer. This is important not only to the residents of HRM, but also to the rest of Nova Scotia. HRM is a hub city, and its economy impacts that of the entire province.
High-density residential; high-quality, public infrastructure; historic restoration along Barrington Street; pedestrian focused; environmentally sustainable—these are the pictures of our revitalized downtown. In the time of an economic downturn though, we need a catalyst. The development of a new convention centre in the heart of our hub-city can be that catalyst.
Why does a new World Trade and Convention Centre (WTCC) matter? When the current WTCC opened its doors in the mid-1980s, Halifax became the city of choice for national and international convention planners. It can be argued that the convention, tourism and student populations have allowed Downtown to remain viable in a time of residential suburban sprawl. Ask any business Downtown, and they’ll tell you that conventions help drive the economic engines of the hotel, retail and restaurant sectors, and remain among the factors that serve to keep the downtown active and vibrant all year long. It’s not just convention attendees who come though—increasingly they bring their spouses and children for an extended stay, leaving thousands of dollars behind.
Every taxpayer is positively impacted. The profits in Downtown business drives up the commercial tax base. Those municipal taxes go to fund sidewalks and roads, playgrounds and recreation centres. The provincial taxes generated go to fund our education and health care systems.
But perhaps even more than that, a new convention centre in the heart of our Downtown is about the future of this community. It can be that catalyst for the governments to inject resources into the Downtown. After this economic crisis passes, we are being faced with a longer term and more impactful crisis. A shortage of skilled labour and young people. If we want to attract and retain our youth, as baby boomers retire, we need to invest in what it important to them. And what is important to them is a vibrant, energetic, creative urban environment. The bones of that exist in Downtown Halifax, but it has been neglected for far too long. An investment in Downtown, starting with the new convention centre, is essential to our future success. It needs to happen, now.