As the city of Port Coquitlam gears up to revise its official community plan this fall, the downtown business improvement association will also undergo a visioning exercise for how the core will shake out over the next five to 10 years.
Next month, at an annual general meeting, the 320 business operators and owners will consider a new strategic plan that will guide the area between Lougheed Highway, Wilson Avenue, Mary Hill Road and Maple Street until 2020.
PoCo BIA president Lih-Ming Tam said the framework, if approved by members at its May 6 meeting, will zero in on a number of goals to update the downtown.
And among its plans is to speak to property owners about their vacant shops. Recently, J.K. Cooper Realty Ltd. moved from Shaughnessy Street after 60 years in PoCo to a new site on Coquitlam's Burke Mountain, a decision that stirred up plenty of emotion at the city's last smart growth committee meeting.
But there are other downtown shops that have sat empty for too long as well. "Every business is concerned about this," Tam said, "so we want to reach out to ask them what's going on. How can we work together to get things moving?"
Another goal on the BIA's checklist is to rebrand the downtown as a destination. Competing with big box stores in Fremont Village, in the Dominion Triangle, isn't the way to go, Tam argues. Instead, the BIA should focus primarily on catering to the residential population in the 12-block radius that can walk to the core.
How the BIA will shift its identity will be left to a consultant, who will work with city officials and business owners on the next steps. Tam said the consultant's project will also tie in with the city's review of its arts and culture policies.
Still, Tam said he's most eager about implementing a new cornerstone into the BIA's mandate: member advocacy. The draft framework calls for direct action for downtown businesses, encouraging them to connect and grow. It has already done this by providing resources on the organics ban and transportation issues but, with a more formalized approach, the BIA would make advocacy a priority.
Being part of city council decisions is one way for the BIA to have a voice, he said. Tam has been at the city's smart growth table for eight years while its vice-president, Brad Fenton, has been on transportation for two years. BIA executive director Kayla Steele takes part on the healthy community committee.
As well, managing its limited funds is also top of mind, especially as BIAs feel the squeeze with the price of audits nearly doubling because of new regulations.
The PoCo BIA brings in about $180,000 a year in membership fees (including $15,000 from the city of PoCo as city hall is on Shaughnessy Street) but this year's audit will cost $10,000, up from $7,000 five years ago. In three years, said Tam, an accountant, the financial paperwork will cost about $15,000.
"It's money that we can be spending on something else," Tam said, noting the BIA will be asking for city council to review its bylaw auditing requirements.
Tam said the BIA runs a lean operation now, with 30% of its income budgeted for administration and the rest spent on programs such as the summer car show and other special events. Its next car show is set for Sunday, Aug. 16.
