Downtown Halifax, Where the Maritimes Meet the World

Member Guidelines

Sidewalk Cafe Guidelines The Sidewalk Cafe Guidelines document provides the current guidelines for installing a sidewalk cafe in the Halifax Regional Municipality Capital District Maintenance The Capital District Maintenance document outlines what your responsibilities are in regards to cleaning, litter, graffiti and postering. It also contains useful service numbers such as the Halifax Regional Water Commission and the Halifax Regional Police. Levy Rates All members in the Downtown Halifax Commission are assessed on a local area rate. This rate is based on business occupancy or commercial realty taxes. They are payable to the Halifax Regional Municipality, who collects them on behalf of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission. Levy Rates 2008-2009 Commercial Levy Assessed Value X 0.09670 per $100.00 Business Levy Assessed Value X 0.1718 per $100.00 Minimum levy amount is $35.00 Maximum levy amount is $12,000.00 New Businesses Information The Downtown Halifax Business Commission has launched of a retail recruitment strategy for Downtown Halifax. Real estate brokers and Downtown businesses can access the Profile for Business, a package created to attract prospective unique retailers to Downtown.

The Business Commission has identified proactive retail recruitment as a gap in the overall Downtown revitalization strategy. "No one else is doing it," says Paul MacKinnon, Executive Director of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission. "We know that the urban core is the economic engine of HRM and the Province but the current mix of economic development strategies within various levels of government ignore the importance of building an increasingly vibrant street life through retail development."