A brand new program will present grants of as much as $50,000 to Enterprise Enchancment Areas (BIAs) and different neighborhood organizations to “deal with the unintended results that transit development can have on native companies,” Mayor John Tory introduced on Thursday.
The Transit Enlargement Building Mitigation Grant Program, launched by the Metropolis of Toronto in partnership with FedDev Ontario and Metrolinx, will likely be made obtainable to BIAs, non-profit organizations and “charities demonstrating a powerful native enterprise involvement.”
“Organizations are eligible for grants of as much as $50,000 for numerous initiatives, reminiscent of enterprise engagement, space advertising and marketing and branding, artistic occasion activations, analysis and wishes evaluation and beautification,” town mentioned in a press launch.
“Metrolinx’s contribution is devoted particularly to supporting BIAs and companies impacted by the Eglinton Crosstown Mild Rail Transit (LRT) development.”
Metrolinx has been broadly criticized for its dealing with of the Crosstown mission, which has brought about heavy development alongside Eglinton Avenue for greater than a decade and led to a whole lot of enterprise closures, in response to the Toronto Affiliation of Enterprise Enchancment Areas’ (TABIA) govt director, John Kira.
“There have been a whole lot of companies misplaced on St. Clair when the TTC work was executed there, and there have been a whole lot misplaced alongside Eglinton [during construction of the] Crosstown,” Kiru instructed CP24 earlier this week.
Metrolinx says that tasks just like the Eglinton Crosstown will convey “generational advantages” to native communities.
“Metrolinx has labored to undertake revolutionary methods to assist the native BIAs enterprise neighborhood alongside the hall since development started on the [Eglinton Crosstown] mission,” mentioned Paul Manhire, Government Vice President of sunshine rail & bus tasks at Metrolinx.
“Extra not too long ago, we’ve partnered with the Metropolis of Toronto to search out the fitting utility for our enterprise assist efforts, and we’re wanting ahead to future partnership alternatives.”
Tory’s announcement comes as many companies brace for the potential impacts of Metrolinx’s development of the Ontario Line subway extension, which is able to run alongside Queen Avenue downtown and Pape Avenue within the east finish.
Throughout the identical announcement, Tory unveiled plenty of different city-funded grants aimed toward aiding small companies, with a complete funding of greater than $5 million. Functions for these applications at the moment are open.
“Toronto’s small companies are important to our metropolis’s success,” Tory mentioned.
“As we proceed to rebuild from the pandemic, the Metropolis of Toronto is dedicated to supporting small companies and guaranteeing we come again stronger than ever.”