Let downtown heat up election cycle

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/09/2018 (2628 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you’re an advocate for the resurgence of downtown Brandon, and hopefully you are, you will find common cause with my column this week. Between the Brandon University downtown project exposure and the time I’ve spent downtown, as well as decades of watching what works and what doesn’t, I think it’s time to feel highly optimistic about our community.

It is my humble opinion that downtown is in the midst of a great resurgence, most likely for a combination of reasons. Between the tragic fire that finally focused a community and the nonstop drip, drip, drip of downtown advocates, investors and politicos, it appears as though we may have reached an inflection point. If so, I couldn’t be happier.

It seems as though the public understands the retail of today and tomorrow is not the retail of yesterday. Major department stores are not coming back downtown anytime soon, and we need to stop lamenting their loss by sticking our heads in the sand daydreaming about their return.

To borrow a few insightful words, retail rarely innovates relative to how often it follows. In other words, retail stores are far more likely to follow people to an area than to build first and hope that people follow. Big-box stores can attest to a different strategy, but even these well-financed operations have encountered mixed success in exploiting their own edge-of-town locations. If you doubt this, consider the spotty record of Target, Kmart, Woolco and others.

Small-scale retail needs affordable space. Malls and big-box developments offer significant benefits, but inexpensive rent is rarely one of them. Affordability is central to these small operations — often they are startups or family operations. A prudently-run family business requires cost controls as a central feature of their start up.

Small business is rarely a destination, but can be if it includes a number of shops and services, particularly unique magnets. For example, if I were to think about my recent visits to downtown, they include seeing my lawyer and accountant, eating at Benny’s, The Dock and Marino’s, and I am now buying all sorts of baking at Chez Angela. While I didn’t make it downtown for yoga in the park, this is another idea that attracts people seeking something unique and cool.

Here’s the thing — downtown Brandon doesn’t need acres of parking lots, big-box stores or mega projects. It needs people and ideas.

This is why I fundamentally support a well-studied Brandon University/Assiniboine Community College affordable housing project in our city centre. I say this not as a representative of the Brandon University Board of Governors, but rather as a Brandon booster.

I’m not in favour of any deal at all costs. After all, planning and prudent spending will help ensure the long-term viability of the project. However, if we can help more students and families find affordable housing downtown, then the economic spinoffs are formidable.

Governments will always have a role in the resurgence of economically challenged areas like downtown. In my opinion, government spending should be highly targeted and strategic. I would much rather see a government spend small amounts to support many businesses than another Convergys deal. Of course, the financial support of businesses has a role, but to borrow a phrase, “…we subsidize business, why not subsidize people?”

This is part of the logic behind my underlying support for the skateboard park and Y. The YMCA is a terrific asset for the area and attracts people from throughout the community. Combined with Princess Park and the skateboard plaza, it’s a smart “at-leisure” area. Events like Music in the Park and the car shows draw people to the core, and these are events that can be subsidized at very low prices.

I’m a Brandon booster at heart and, as such, I’m optimistic about our city’s core. Bringing people downtown is central to our community’s success. As election season starts to heat up, let’s ask our community leaders to show their support for our downtown — it was our past and I hope it will be an important part of our future.