A financial plan to inject life into Thunder Bay businesses will be examined at city council Monday night, introduced by the mayor.
Bill Mauro tells us the Community Improvement Plan, an idea he had on the back burner when elected, will provide assistance to certain blocks of the city, including the downtown south core.
“We all would agree that we need some help down there, but now given COVID-19, and the challenges businesses are facing right across the city, I figured this would be a good time to bring this back,” says the mayor.
He adds the money could come from the reserve fund, which would also include waiving fees and offering grants to formerly recognized areas of the city with boundaries, which already exist.
“So there are a number of them in the city, I think four or five, I’m not sure, geographically. Businesses within those boundaries would have the option to apply, if there’s money to apply for,” muses Mauro.
The mayor adds this idea, to him, is similar to the pop-up patio idea.
“Both based upon the same principle for me, and that is to try and see what we may be able to do as a council to try and supply some support,” says the mayor.
Mauro adds he doesn’t expect people to rush back to businesses when they reopen, and says this is just a tool to help.
