St. Albert city council signed off on the first board of directors and annual budget for a new non-profit organization aiming to support downtown businesses and community culture.
The Downtown Business Association (DBA), which was formally established as a Business Improvement Area (BIA) through bylaw by council in September, was created by Shannon Roche, the owner of Divine and Free Wellness Spa on St. Michael Street, and Michelle McDonald, the co-owner of Tryst Wine and Small Plates on Perron Street.
The DBA's first board of directors consists of six people, including Roche, who is serving as the first president, and McDonald, who is listed as the treasurer.
Other board members include Leah Louden, the director of the Art Gallery of St. Albert; Gwen Wilkinson, the director of the St. Albert Community Hall; Jennifer Parker, a financial advisor with Edward Jones; and Alena Brown, the owner of Eye Candy Lash Extensions.
Because BIAs are established under municipal bylaw, municipal councils are responsible for approving board members and annual budgets, and on March 5 city council gave the necessary approval.
Roche said while there are some initiatives planned for this year to create physical changes downtown, the organization also has a lot of administrative tasks to complete.
“There's a lot of housekeeping,” she said. “It's a new board, so obviously [registering as] a not-for-profit organization, there's going to be a website build, and things like that on the administrative back end.”
After the administrative work is done, Roche said the DBA will shift its focus to “trying to change the culture of the downtown.”
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BIAs are corporations established through municipal bylaw, and provincially regulated in Alberta under the Municipal Government Act (MGA). There are roughly 35 BIAs in operation throughout the province, with most being located in Edmonton and Calgary.
Unlike a chamber of commerce, which also works to advocate for and improve business interests, BIAs are funded through a tax levy assessed to all businesses within the BIA's geographic area. Those funds can be used for things like marketing, visitor attraction, event coordinating, strategic plans, beautification, crime prevention, and more.
The DBA's approved budget totals $50,000, half of which is city-provided funding thanks to a motion put forward by Mayor Cathy Heron during 2024 budget deliberations. Heron's motion will see the city provide the DBA with 100 per cent matching funding in 2024, 75 per cent matching funding in 2025, and 50 per cent matching funding in 2026.
A document included in council's meeting agenda shows some initiatives the DBA has budgeted for this year include marketing, fall and winter lighting downtown, a new seating area, and more.
“We've come up with our fall and winter lighting for fall and winter activation, which I think I think people in the community — the business community and also the residents of St. Albert — are really going to appreciate that,” Roche said. “we're looking at having approximately 45 trees lit up.”
According to the budget document provided to council, the DBA has set aside nearly half of its first budget for the lighting program.
“It'll be a really beautiful area just to come and walk around, go to some of the cafes, go to some of the restaurants and just have a really beautiful space that's really going to help drive those businesses as well and support the business community,” Roche said.
Some other specific project goals the DBA has for 2024, Roche said, include working with the city to replace some trees, getting more garbage cans, and adding some picnic benches and other types of seating throughout the downtown core.
“Really, we're trying to work out that framework today to try and build that culture and vibe that we're wanting to have moving forward,” she said.
Another project the DBA is hoping to work with the city on is addressing some parts of downtown that have poor lighting.
“We have some areas with some pretty poor lighting, and we don't have a huge crime ratio ... we're very fortunate we're ahead of the mark there, but we also don't want to invite it, so really making sure that we have proper lighting in more of the back alleys and parking areas,” Roche said.
A couple of specific places that came to mind for Roche are the alley connecting Perron Street to the St. Albert Place parking lot where the St. Albert the Great statue previously stood, and on St. Michael Street where her business is located.
“I have a two-person working policy in the evenings just because when you go into the parking lot it is quite dark, especially in the fall and winter months,” she said.
Council has high hopes
Prior to council's unanimous vote, several councillors said they think the DBA will contribute to downtown vibrancy, a conceptual goal St. Albert's elected officials and city staffers have been working on for over 50 years.
“I think this is just really moving forward a lot of things that we've talked about in the past, and this is putting those things that we talked about into action,” said Coun. Mike Killick. “I know it's some big bold things like the lights, and some small little things like the garbage cans, but they all come together and make the downtown more vibrant.”
“I'm very hopeful that over the next few years this will really see some really good positive things.”
Likewise, Coun. Ken MacKay said he thinks the DBA will be successful in its efforts because its businesses stepping up to revamp the area in which they operate.
“To have a vibrant downtown, you obviously have to have the businesses driving it,” he said. “I'm happy that this is up and running, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what they're able to accomplish.”
Heron, Coun. Shelley Biermanski, and Coun. Wes Brodhead each wished Roche and the DBA good luck moving forward.
