Those involved with North Battleford's downtown business improvement district are reporting early success in efforts to turn around the downtown core.
Downtown North Battleford presented its strategic plan in a presentation to council Tuesday night at city hall.
In that presentation, BID board co-chair Rhonda Kauth and Executive Director Lisa McEachern were able to point to successes both with their downtown events as well as in cleaning it up. Several BID board members were at the meeting.
They noted their dedicated team of street cleaners dubbed the "Clean Team," are already making an impact in improving the look of downtown, with several positive comments coming back about their efforts. McEachern reported their efforts in removing garbage, tree branches, shrubs, dirt and refuse.
As well, McEachern was able to point to the success of the early events downtown, including the BID launch in Central Park called Live at Lunch, as well as a Fall Festival on Sept. 28 and the Turkey Day 5K Oct. 12.
She reported increases in sales for local businesses during the downtown events as well.
The strategic plan was developed, Kauth said, during back-to-back sessions Aug. 27 and 28 in the downtown basement of the Innovation Credit Union building. Nuguru consultants of Saskatoon facilitated the sessions.
From that came the strategic plan focusing on priorities over the next three years and particularly the next 12 months.
Their strategic plan calls for a focus on five priorities over the first year, including addressing empty buildings, more events downtown, aesthetic changes to improve the look of downtown such as garbage cans, benches and planters, working to change perceptions of downtown and to improve or foster a relationship with the City.
Among additional plans outlined by McEachern for the coming months are plans for a Christmas festival in concert with the Boys and Girls Club, as well as working with the artist community and the farmers' market on indoor rental and potential retail space downtown.
"It's clean, it feels safer and it's starting to feel like a place we want to be," said McEachern.
McEachern noted the BID has received overwhelmingly positive feedback on the efforts, something echoed by councillors at the meeting who voiced their encouragement.
Councillor Ryan Bater said that he has noticed the Clean Team downtown every day and "they make a huge difference," and said even his "negative" friends have made comments that "it looks cleaner and the environment's changed."
Councillor Greg Lightfoot, council's representative on the BID board, said his clients have noticed the difference downtown. He credited the efforts of the Clean Team calling them "ambassadors" and added "the comments and the feedback I've got has been absolutely fantastic."
