Victoria Park Business Revitalization Zone [BRZ]
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About Victoria Park BRZ Victoria Park BRZ is a business association encompassing most of the eastern portion of the Beltline community. Focused primarily on 1st Street SW, the BRZ boundaries include busineses in the area from 6th Street SE to 2nd Street SW and from 10th Avenue to 17th Avenue S. Formed in 1997 as Victoria Crossing BRZ, Victoria Park BRZ's name was adopted in 2010.. The BRZ's membership is comprised of business tax ratepayers representing some 300 merchants and other businesses located in both the East Victoria and Victoria Centre neighbourhoods of the Beltline community. Victoria Crossing BRZ is funded by a compulsory levy applied to business tax assessments.The City of Calgary collects the levy on behalf of the BRZ from all rate paying businesses located within its designated zone.
Victoria Park BRZ T. 403.265.2888 Board of Directors Its board of directors is the main decision-making body for Victoria Crossing BRZ. The board acts as a voice for businesses in the zone. Only rate-paying members of Victoria Park BRZ can sit on the Board. Beltline community residents are not represented by the Victoria Park BRZ. Beltline Communities represents residents in both Vicrtoria and Connaught neighbourhoods/ Vision and Mission:
Victoria Crossing BRZ intends to:
The Victoria Park BRZ's goals include:
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Programs and Services Marketing Victoria Park BRZ has helped to transform 1st street into one of Calgary’s most vibrant and thriving urban business environments, complete with a great blend of amenities and services. Marketing initiatives undertaken by the BRZ seek to capitalize on these assets. Off the Wall Graffiti Abatement Team Initiated in 2005, this annual program is funded by The City of Calgary and managed by the Calgary Downtown Association, with the primary goal to report, record, and remove graffiti on public property in hopes of preventing future graffiti crimes. The team is also available to assist businesses with graffiti removal on building frontages if necessary. In 2009 the Off the Wall Team removed a total of 1,741 graffiti “tags” and unwanted stickers. Clean to the Core Clean to the Core started in 2006 with funding from the Office of the Mayor. The five Centre City BRZs (Calgary Downtown Association, 4th Street, Kensington, Uptown 17 and Victoria Park BRZ) engaged the services of a professional street maintenance contractor to help enhance the existing services provided by The City of Calgary in the Centre City.Some of these additional services include:
In 2009 due to City of Calgary budget cut backs, funding for this program was reduced from $200,000 per year to $140,000 per year. Despite this, the BRZ has, through its own independent contract, been able to maintain the same overall level of service to itsbusinesses.
Nighttime Economy Research Building a truly great city requires an investment in all aspects of buiness, from daytime retail to evening theatre and dining to late-night music and entertainment. Representing the popular 1sr street SW entertainment strip1st Street SW, and with a growing number of new entertainment venue members, Victoria Park BRZ has been, along with the Centre City Implementation Team, Calgary Police, and Community and Protective Services, engaging in research into nighttime economies. Along with Beltline Communities, it is the position of the BRZ that entertainment venues are an integral part of creating and maintaining a healthy and vibrant community. Proper planning, management, and enforcement are key to maintaining the vitality and economic benefit that entertainment venues bring to an area. Calgary Police Service & Bylaw Service Liaison Maintaining close relationships with Bylaw Services and the Calgary Police Service helps to address problematic and illegal activity that compromises public safety. Direct liaison with the Calgary Police Service is maintained through a Community Liaison Office. Outreach Program Introduced in the summer of 2008, the Outreach Program is a collaboration between the Victoria Park BRZ and the Calgary Downtown Association. The Outreach Team focuses on providing street level intelligence and establishing relationships with the area’s homeless and panhandling population in order to refer them to appropriate social services. Data gathered in the spring/summer of 2009 indicated a sharp decline in panhandling and other street level incivilities over previous years, but an increase in the amount of “bottle picking”. This data is being shared with the Center City Safety Impact Team to help refine policing and bylaw enforcement strategies in the Centre City.
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