Belleville’s Economic and Destination Development Committee had a busy meeting on Thursday, discussing everything from the COVID-19 recovery, to increasing the amount of serviced industrial land in the city, to potentially expanding the Pop-Ups By the Bay and more.
Here are some of the highlights from our conversation with Committee Chair Ryan Williams:
Local businesses starting to see some improvement during COVID-19 recovery
“A lot of industries have come back, like tourism, hospitality and the restaurants seem to be doing well. Downtown seems to be doing well. Retail is still a question mark and we’re trying to get more data from them.”
Belleville’s industrial park needs more serviced land. That was the sentiment from the city’s Economic and Destination Development Committee, following its meeting on Thursday morning. Committee Chair Ryan Williams says the committee is asking council and staff to look into that plan, especially since some companies have actually passed Belleville by because available land wasn’t serviced or wasn’t the right size.
“We have large parcels but we don’t have anything around 50 acres or so, or less, which a lot of companies are looking for. There’s a bunch of land that’s been earmarked, I think it’s 100 acres, but it’s just not serviced. A lot of these companies want serviced industrial land.”
Williams is hoping council will act on the idea quickly, estimating it will take about three years to get that land serviced, once you factor in a budget, needed environmental studies, and the building of roads.
Potential for some local businesses to open on holidays
Belleville’s Economic and Destination Development Committee is asking council to let some businesses open on statutory holidays, if they’d like to.
Committee Chair Ryan Williams tells Quinte News the topic came up for discussion at their meeting on Thursday and they’re going to have staff send a report to council about making some changes to how the city handles the Retail Holiday Act.
Williams says the city would have to pass take some special actions to allow those businesses who want to open, to do so.
“A lot of times that has to be a designation making Belleville, or certain parts of Belleville, tourism focused. That allows us to create a by-law and allows those businesses to open. So downtown is going to get some feedback and from some of the chamber businesses. It’s not for every business but some may want to be open on say a Family Day or Canada Day.”
He says they’re looking for feedback from any local businesses that might want to be open on holidays to write a letter to the city’s economic development department.
Talks underway on supporting restaurants after “patio season”
Belleville’s Economic and Destination Development Committee is discussing ways to help local restaurants once patio season ends.
Committee Chair Ryan Williams says restaurant owners have done a great job with getting their patios up and running, to help with the pandemic bounce-back, but plans need to be made to continue to support those businesses when the weather gets colder.
“So we’re getting some feedback on what restaurants need to help promote them when the fall comes and the winter, and they can’t use their patios anymore. We’re trying to get ahead of that and get feedback back to the department and other agencies on what do restaurants need in the coming months? The patios are great and restaurants are doing well right now, but what are they going to need in three months?”
He says they’ll go over some of the feedback they get at the committee’s next meeting.
Looking at extending, or expanding, Pop-Ups By The Bay
Belleville’s Pop-Ups By The Bay initiative is being praised as a big success, but the city’s Economic and Destination Development Committee is already looking ahead.
Committee Chair Ryan Williams says the committee tossed around a few ideas about how to improve and expand the pop-ups, or even expand their season, during a meeting on Thursday morning.
“We’re looking at different locations, or expansion of that and maybe even a winter pop-ups project. Staff will do a report that will come back with costs and ideas for expanding the pop-ups, not only through locations to somewhere downtown or other parks and the next question was would a pop-up project in the winter work? So staff will come back with some of those recommendations.”
The current Pop-Ups By The Bay season is slated to end on September 7, 2020.
