THUNDER BAY - The Waterfront District Business Improvement Area is expanding by welcoming the largest business in the area into the fold in the hopes of further improving the downtown north core.
On Monday night, Thunder Bay city council approved a request by the BIA to expand its boundary to now include Gateway Casino.
Jim Comuzzi, chair of the Waterfront District BIA, said there is a great sense of community in the neighbourhood and expanding it to include the Casino will only increase that sense of community.
“From the BIA’s perspective, I believe Gateway can be the cornerstone of our BIA,” he said. “They are the biggest employer, they are the biggest property owner and I am more excited for them to be on board than they are to be on board.”
Membership in the Waterfront District BIA already includes 136 businesses and 54 property owners. During the deputation to city council, Comuzzi said the area has been expanding in recent years, adding 17 new members in 2017, and the addition of the Casino will allow for more improvements to the area.
“We want to initiate a better crime and security portfolio in the BIA, increase our tourism profile in the BIA with the help of Tourism Thunder Bay, and we also want to increase our beautification program that we have started in the last two or three years,” he said.
Officials with the Gateway Casino were at the council meeting to support the motion. Jordi Psikla, general manager of Gateway Casino, said joining the BIA is something the Casino has been interested in for years.
“The BIA has been doing fantastic work in our downtown core for many years,” he said. “Historically the OLG property has been a partner with the BIA where we are able to contribute. Now that we are part of Gateway Entertainment, a greater opportunity presented itself to us to participate with the BIA.”
Psikla said now that the Casino is a member, it will allow for more opportunities to contribute to the growth of the Waterfront district.
“The growth and expansion that is currently happening down at the waterfront is phenomenal and we want to be as active a part of that as possible to help grow the community,” he said.
“We have some ideas in mind already for certain parts of our downtown that would work well with the casino,” Comuzzi added. “In the next few weeks and few months we will sit down with them and see where it will all fit together and how we can bring this forward with some expediency.”
There are plans for future expansion of the Waterfront District BIA, but Comuzzi said it is something they want to take slowly.
“There is a cost factor and not everybody at this present time can afford the extra tax levy that is put on by the BIA or has a need for the expansion plans that we have in their particular businesses,” he said.
The tax levy is based on the assessed value of the property to a maximum of $2,000.
City council voted unanimously in favour of supporting the motion. Council has the authority over business improvement area boundaries through the municipal act.
