Part 19: Downtown Hamilton Service Updates
We are now quickly approaching the end of 2023, with only 4 months left in the year. 2023 has been a year of significant growth in Hamilton, with many important changes happening in the past months and more coming soon. Some of the most recent changes to the downtown core have been achieved through service updates that the City of Hamilton has implemented, which are sure to have an effect on both citizens and business owners alike. Keep reading for some more information regarding what changes have come to the core already, and what is to be expected in the future.
One important service update to make note of is the introduction of a core patrol in downtown Hamilton. Beginning on June 26, the Hamilton Police Service introduced a core patrol as an additional resource for the downtown core. Core Patrol is a dedicated team of officers that are assigned to downtown Hamilton and the surrounding neighborhoods, with a specific focus on Wellington to Bay and Cannon to Hunter Streets. The officers patrol the area and engage with individuals, businesses and stakeholders to gather feedback and focus on improving community safety and wellbeing, working from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. The program also provides a connection to the Social Navigator Program and Rapid Intervention and Support team to ensure that vulnerable community members are getting the necessary comprehensive support they require. If you are a Downtown Hamilton BIA business member or property owner who would like to get in touch with the core patrol, please reach out to the BIA for the relevant contact information. You can find more information about the Core Patrol here.
Another important service update that you are likely already seeing reflected in the downtown core is an enhancement to the downtown cleanliness service levels. As of July 13, service level enhancements regarding litter collection and sidewalk sweeping commenced by the Waste Management Division, including sidewalk litter collection on Sundays and sidewalk sweeping on Saturdays and Sundays. The addition of new staff members and equipment means that there are now sidewalk litter and sweeping services seven days a week within the Downtown service area, which was not previously offered. Staff in the Transportation Division are currently working on details surrounding enhancements relating to roadway/cycle lane sweeping, weed trimming, debris pickup, and graffiti removal in downtown public rights-of-way, and more updates will come once these decisions have been finalized. You can find more information about these service-level enhancements here.
The most recent service update that is very important to business and property owners in the downtown core is temporary changes to the Commercial District Revitalization Grant Program to provide grants for graffiti removal. On September 13 City Council approved changes to the CDRG program to provide grants for removing graffiti on commercial and mixed-use commercial properties located within strategic commercial districts and corridors. Here is more information regarding the grant:
- The property owner or the commercial business at the subject site can apply.
- Grant is for private properties only. Grant is $200 per incident up to a maximum of 5 incidents ($1000) in a calendar year
This grant is temporary until March 31, 2025, and it will then be at the City Council’s discretion whether to alter or discontinue it. You can find more information regarding this grant here, and then submit an application here. It is important to note that any applications where graffiti is not the sole subject being sought should go through the normal CDRG Program application process.
All of these service updates are designed to make the downtown core a more inviting and welcoming place for pedestrians, businesses and property owners alike. If you are a Downtown Hamilton BIA member business and would like to be featured in a blog post, please email Emily Gilruth at operations@downtownhamilton.org.