BIG CITY, BIG EVENTS, BIG AMENITIES, BIG FUTURE PROGRESS 2019 Page 26
Futureisbright forourdowntowndespitetoday’schallenges T
he year 2018was definitely a year that could best be described as challenging and
impactful, not only for the downtown but also for the rest of our community. The drug crisis hit us
extremely hard and althoughwe are still reeling fromawide variety of negative issues associatedwith it, our civic leaders, alongwith a number of community partners, have respondedwith awide range of strategic actions and objectives. These “actions” have provided us with an excellent opportunity to get back to a newnormal. I amincredibly proud of the
way inwhich our community mobilized and took the necessary steps to address the community drug crisis. It didn’t
happen overnight, and although we still havemuchmore to do, we came together under strong leadership and have turned the corner. Mayor,Council andCity
Administration acted quickly to the concerns thatwere brought forward by business owners, Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ),Chamber ofCommerce and theHeart ofOurCity
committee.City administration, in conjunctionwith community partners, developed theClean and Safe Strategywhich focuses attention on the impact and fallout fromthe drug
crisis.This much-needed initiativewas designed to ensure that the safety concerns of anyonewho spends time in the downtown is
addressed.The newly launched Watch Programis one of the
many ‘actions’ that is already making a difference. Even in the face of big box
development and online shopping, downtown business owners have always figured out a way to compete and flourish. Locally owned and operated businesses offer a unique shopping experience, product knowledge and customer service that creates the type of loyalty that isn’t focused exclusively on a particular price point. Because of its central location,
rich history and heritage buildings, the downtown core will continue to be a great place to invest and establish a business. Big investments have been taking place in the “heart of our city” since its inception. The recent purchase of the iconic post office by a local
Ted
Stilson is the executive director of the Downton BRZ
Ted Stilson
DOWNTOWN BRZ
developer speaks loudly to the fact that developers and entrepreneurs are still bullish on investing in the downtown. We are excited and optimistic
about the future of our downtown. Big things are on the
horizon andwe are confident thatwewill continue to address any challenges that come are way. Revitalizationwill never be an
easy road to travel, howeverwe knowthatmaintaining and investing in a strong downtown is incredibly important andwell worth the effort. Our downtown is not only the
symbolic “heart of our city” it is also the place that represents howwell our entire community is doing. Revitalization in our downtown started slowly, but it is nowmoving ahead at full steam. Last yearwasmerely a brief setback inwhat has been steady revitalization and growth. The future is indeed very
bright for downtown Lethbridge and the rest of our great community!
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