Caledon adopts Downtown Bolton Revitalization Plan

March 31, 2021 -- The Bolton Downtown Revitalization Plan will guide Council and staff on future actions and investment to improve the historic downtown area for residents, business owners and visitors.

“This is a big step forward in reimagining Downtown Bolton,” said Mayor Allan Thompson. “Council has been very supportive of this plan and we will continue to work with the community on the revitalization of the historic downtown core of Bolton.”

TASK FORCE

To aid in the implementation the plan Council will appoint a Downtown Bolton Task Force comprised of Ward Councillors, local business and community representatives, staff and Heritage Caledon.

The Town is currently recruiting for two members – a business owner and a representative of a community group or service club – to serve on the Task Force. Applications are due by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 2.

For more information visit caledon.ca/committees.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

The plan is organized in four pillars: organization, design, economic vitality, and promotion.

It includes an extensive list of recommendations to rejuvenate the downtown core:

Implement a vacant commercial property registry and protocol to encourage business owners to sell or lease empty storefronts.
Improve communication and collaboration between the Town, the Region, the Bolton Business Improvement Area (BIA), and business owners, with a clear understanding of who does what.
Make the parking pilot permanent, extend the moratorium on cash-in-lieu of parking policies, and fast-track other traffic-calming measures and public realm improvements.
Identify and remedy any internal procedural obstacles that may be perceived as stalling development in downtown Bolton.
Actively seek solutions for allowing development compatible with cultural heritage in flood-prone communities, based on flood-mitigation practices in other parts of the Province and elsewhere.
Redesign the public realm in bite-size tangible ways to encourage more recreational and entertainment activities in the core, neighbouring public spaces, and along the river.
That the Town retain ownership of the Old Bolton Fire Hall and, subject to costing and Council approval, be repurposed as community space for vendors, as an innovation hub, as a drop-in space for youth and / or seniors, and other uses to be determined.
Activate and aggressively promote an ongoing, regular schedule of pop-up events featuring local buskers and entertainers in public spaces or on porches of neighbouring homes.

THE PROCESS

The Plan was developed with the assistance of consulting firm MDB Insight and takes into account existing plans and policies as well as community, staff, agency and Council input.

The consultation process included an online survey, which generated over 350 responses and a public meeting on February 2, 2021.

Downtown revitalization theory for decades has largely centered around the Main Street Approach providing Transformation Strategies, which articulate a focused, deliberate path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown or commercial district’s economy.

Work is expected to begin this summer and continue over the next 36 months.

For more information about Bolton Downtown Revitalization, visit the project web page at caledon.ca/bdr.

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Media Contact:

Catherine McLean
Director, Customer Service and Communications
905.584.2272 | catherine.mclean@caledon.ca