Thunder Bay's proposed community improvement plan will include Westfort

A downtown revitalization plan tentatively approved by city Thunder Bay council now includes Westfort as a community improvement area.

The proposed initiative is part of the city's current strategic plan, of which one goal is to promote the revitalization of the city's downtown cores and business areas.

It's set to replace a previous document that expired in 2014 and did not include the Westfort area. Planning manager Leslie McEachern said, if adopted, the new plan would enable businesses along Frederica Street, and to the west near James Street, to take advantage of financial incentives from the city.

"[The city will be] looking to introduce some programs that will help to revitalize and rehabilitate some of the businesses in the buildings that have fallen into disrepair," McEachern said.

The financial incentives generally focus on areas in the city that are in transition, or are in need of rehabilitation, and fall into three categories:

• A rebate on planning and building fees
• A rebate that effectively grants back an increase in property taxes due to an increase in property value from rehabilitation
• A grant to cover some construction costs

Similar programs to the first two have been in effect in the city before, McEachern said.

'It was nice ... that they considered us'

Westfort business owner Jack Moro said he's happy his area of town is now included.

"In the past, sometimes we get left behind," Moro said. "We're not very vocal with the city, and they've been very helpful to us in other ways, and it was nice that when the old program came to an end, that they considered us."

McEachern said at this point, city staff is recommending offering two of the financial incentives: the planning and building fee rebate program and one of the other two.

That ultimately will be up to council, although in its report, city staff is not recommending a grant for construction costs.

Council still has to confirm the bylaw that would enact the new plan for the cores, plus any financial programs have to be included in the 2017 municipal budget.