Downtown Winnipeg Biz

Understanding the needs and priorities of our downtown residents, and our city, is central to transforming our downtown into a vibrant, clean, safe, and greener community. There is an exciting pulse in downtown Winnipeg; sidewalks and skywalks are bustling with activity. A vibrant and thriving downtown neighbourhood is alive with unique entertainment, culture, arts, heritage, retail, housing and street culture which reflects our ethnic and social diversity and together leads to the creation and expansion of business, a strong tax base, and employment opportunities that will excite our youth and attract even more people to the heart of our city.

Our Mandate

The Downtown BIZ, in all of its efforts, advocates for you and is your voice for positive, continuous change, by focusing on changing public policy and attitudes towards downtown development, research best practices within other cities that have proven to revitalize downtown and stimulate economic development, and in improving the perception of our downtown by providing a welcoming environment, by keeping things clean and safe, and by advocating for projects like rapid transit, transit-oriented development, downtown housing incentives, taxation to address downtown development challenges and other policies that are needed to attract business and people downtown.

We advocate for policies and programs that continually move downtown forward and work in the best interests of our members and the community, which in turn allow us to capitalize on our core functions of marketing our downtown as a great place to live, work and play, enhancing downtown safety and reaching that vibrancy we so often talk about.

Our broad goals (from the City By-law):

To promote, maintain, improve and beautify the downtown
To undertake and promote economic development of new businesses in the zone
To attract and encourage the development of new businesses in the zone
To undertake other actions to carry out its mandate

Our Approach

1.Research

Consultation with Downtown BIZ members
Consultation with downtown community and all residents of Winnipeg who have a vested interest and stake in the development of our downtown
Survey of needs and priorities of our downtown community

2.Partnerships

Work together with City, Province, business members, and politicians towards downtown revitalization goals
Work with downtown organizations to move forward progress on advocacy initiatives
Inspire and engage corporate community to raise awareness on the various social issues that downtown people encounter each day

3.Mobilization

Engage and inspire downtown residents and stakeholders to voice their concerns, aspirations, and ideas for the vision of their downtown
Host info-sessions, tours, and campaigns, to educate and raise awareness about our downtown and the Downtown BIZ
Work with media, through opinion editorials, interviews, and letters, to put downtown issues front and centre of public opinion

Our Goals

On-going advocacy for Tax Increment Financing zones and tax policies to promote downtown living.
Encourage the City to reinvest the Winnipeg Parking Authority surplus revenue back into downtown.
Encourage the implementation of a bus rapid transit system.
Enhance the Downtown Spirit free shuttle bus service.
Assist parking lot operators to create safe and crime-free facilities.
Create flexible loading, parking and downtown roadway policies to accommodate pedestrian, cycling and vehicular traffic.
Increase police and Watch patrols at all times in all areas of our downtown.
Establish a private public sector downtown camera system:
Establish a private public sector Downtown Security Network.

Our Achievements

2010 Advocacy Achievements

Mayoral Forum: the two leading mayoral candidates discussed downtown issues in front of a crowded house of 250 people at Manitoba Hydro Place
Premier’s Forum: 40 top BIZ members had Premier Greg Selinger’s ear at a special BIZ-hosted meeting to discuss downtown issues
Aggressively advocated for a greater presence of foot patrol police downtown, and a greater presence is being seen.
This year, the city has begun rolling out the new Police Cadet program that will put more trained patrols on the streets, including downtown. This program will augment the BIZ's Watch program, and the downtown will be used as the live training theatre of cadets in training.
Successfully advocated for Transit to broaden its partnership with the BIZ in ensuring bus shelters are cleaned 3 to 4 times per week.
Worked with the Downtown Council in advocating for a planned approach to revitalizing our downtown districts, through development plans and Tax Increment Financing (TIF), starting with the creation of an entertainment district around the MTS Centre.
Worked with the Downtown Council in advocating for the province and the city to provide proper tax incentives to stimulate the development of more downtown housing, funding downtown developments that otherwise would not be economically feasible. Over 800 potential new housing units are now under consideration.
Advocated to principal stakeholders for the continuation of the Outreach Patrol Program and received funding to run until March 2011. The BIZ is continuing in working to make this a permanent program with jurisdiction beyond the BIZ's boundaries.
Advocated for and played a role the development of a five-year downtown parking strategy that integrates other transportation, parking and pedestrian strategies as part of a renewed plan for the Winnipeg Parking Authority.
Successfully advocated that sale proceeds from the Shops of Winnipeg Square parkade be used to create new mixed-use parkade structures in areas of parking demand in our downtown.
A joint federal/provincial housing pilot project for those suffering from mental health issues will see 400 homeless and at-risk people taken off the street and moved to a better environment, through a “housing first” approach.
Advocated for Light on Broadway, downtown festival and capital lighting program

2007 Advocacy Achievements

Leveraging your dollars – Almost all downtown head office Crown Corporations now fund BIZ programming to show their commitment to downtown.
Cleaner downtown – In March 2007, the City announced significant dollars to increase cleanliness and “green” downtown, as well as providing funding to the BIZ’s litter program.
Assisting intoxicated people – With funding from the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement, Outreach Patrol members move intoxicated people into safer environments. Response times have dropped from an average of 65 minutes to 10 minutes.
More residents – The City announced in May 2007 a multi-family tax increment financing program, which will see over $20,000 per unit as incentives to developers. Over $10 million in tax credit will be made available to developers.
More beat cops – After many meetings, the City and Winnipeg Police Service have committed to more beat cops downtown, especially on Portage Avenue.
Downtown WiFi arrived at the Millennium Library.
Renewal of Centre Plan by the primary stakeholders began in 2007.
There was continued support of the re-invigorated City development agency, CentreVenture.

2006 Advocacy Achievements

Mixed-use housing development policy: Mayor Sam Katz is developing a policy
Anti-panhandling policy: Mayor Sam Katz changed the panhandling by-law and supported in the BIZ’s Change for the Better program
Anti-graffiti policy: Mayor Sam Katz dedicated $200,000 (CHECK) to a graffiti program and proposed a new law where children could not buy spray paint
Better litter and snow removal: the BIZ is working with the City to attain equipment and the City is committed to making downtown cleaner
Advocate for more police patrols downtown
Community Outreach Patrol Program: after several years of lobbying, the BIZ secured funding from the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement for the Outreach Patrol, part of our on-going efforts to address safety issues
Advocate for the City of Winnipeg and CentreVenture to provide incentives to encourage private sector development