Expansion Approved
Calgary City Council approved the expansion of Crescent Heights Village BIA's boundaries october 3, 2023
To our new BIA Businesses
Welcome to Crescent Heights Village BIA
You are now part of a great community of businesses
working together for everyone’s success.
Overview
In 2019, a group of business owners and community members got together to gather support for a Business Improvement Area in Crescent Heights. With approval of City Council, the BIA was formed and began operation in January 2020.
After three years of success, the board of directors (made up up business owners like yourself) felt it was time to grow the BIA and expand services to the whole of Crescent Heights and neighbouring areas.
After months of consultation and feedback from community associations, business owners and other stakeholders, City council approved the expansion of the BIA to include more of Centre Street, the Crescent Heights stretch of 16th Avenue and Edmonton Trail between 16th Avenue and Bridgeland.
We need some info to serve you better
What's in it for me?
The board of directors (made up of business owners like you!) sets the strategic direction for the organization. In consultation with you, the board decides what’s important to business owners and how the BIA should spend its time and resources.
In general terms, everything we do falls into one of these categories:
Advocacy: Working with government, landlords, community associations, police, etc. to address the things that are important to you – parking, traffic, social disorder and others.
Streetscape: These are clean-and-safe activities like garbage collection, graffiti removal and placemaking activities like public art, seating, parklets, signage, pageantry, greenery and others.
Marketing and Events: Creating larger-scale marketing and communications programs for the area as a whole. This includes digital and traditional programs as well as media relations, etc. We have also hosted events like the Crescent Moon Festival, Trunk Shows and Night Markets.
Member Value and Engagement: In addition to creating value for you in the ways mentioned above, we have specific programs to create value for you. They include things like matching grants to help you pay for your own initiatives; professional development opportunities, information sharing on grants, changes in legislation and the like; savings on business expenses like credit card processing, insurance, marketing and others.
Long story short:
Support with parking, traffic, garbage, graffiti, security, marketing, events, business services
Long story short:
Support with parking, traffic, garbage, graffiti, security, marketing, events, business services
What is it going to cost me?
Each business pays a different levy, which is calculated based on the value of the property at which the business is located. Details on how that amount is calculated can be found at this great resource on the City’s website.
One of the best ways to get the most value is to get involved and take advantage of the benefits!
How do i get involved?
- Join the board, and/or come to board meetings
- Particpate in events like the Crescent Moon Festival, Trunk Shows, YYC Bubble Tea Festival and other seasonal happenings
- Set up a meeting with our Executive Director to brainstorm ideas on how we can work together to bring people to the area
- Navigate this website to get acquainted with your You Belong in Crescent Heights Village brand, meet some neighbours, see what’s happening and make sure your listing on the business directory is up to date.
- Share your news, sales and happenings with info@crescentheightsvillage.ca
- Open the newsletters we send, which have unique opportunities for marketing, promotions and partnerships as well as important news for businesss owners on things like grants, government policy and more.
- Join our member Facebook page and contribute your thoughts, ideas, sales and more there
- Get to know your neighbours and look for ways to promote one anothers’ businesses
- Volunteer for events and festivals to get you out and meeting your potential customers in the neighbourhood
- Participate in networking, development and other opportunities through the BIA
How do i get involved?
- Join the board, and/or come to board meetings
- Particpate in events like the Crescent Moon Festival, Trunk Shows, YYC Bubble Tea Festival and other seasonal happenings
- Set up a meeting with our Executive Director to brainstorm ideas on how we can work together to bring people to the area
- Navigate this website to get acquainted with your You Belong in Crescent Heights Village brand, meet some neighbours, see what’s happening and make sure your listing on the business directory is up to date.
- Share your news, sales and happenings with info@crescentheightsvillage.ca
- Open the newsletters we send, which have unique opportunities for marketing, promotions and partnerships as well as important news for businesss owners on things like grants, government policy and more.
- Join our member Facebook page and contribute your thoughts, ideas, sales and more there
- Get to know your neighbours and look for ways to promote one anothers’ businesses
- Volunteer for events and festivals to get you out and meeting your potential customers in the neighbourhood
- Participate in networking, development and other opportunities through the BIA
background information
background information
Growing our community. Growing our voice.
About Crescent Heights Village BIA
Formed via Bylaw 32M2019 on January 1, 2020, the Crescent Heights Village BIA is a community of about 115 businesses on Centre St. N between 8th and 14th Avenues.
In the first three years of operation, the BIA helped businesses navigate the pandemic, add tens of thousands of dollars of grants and sponsorships, developed security, streetscape, marketing, events and community initiatives and advocated for the businesses of the area with the City and Province in matters of transportation, parking, Covid relief and, perhaps most significantly, the Green Line LRT project – the construction of which has had a major impact on our community.
Growing our community. Growing our voice.
About Crescent Heights Village BIA
Formed via Bylaw 32M2019 on January 1, 2020, the Crescent Heights Village BIA is a community of about 115 businesses on Centre St. N between 8th and 14th Avenues.
In the first three years of operation, the BIA helped businesses navigate the pandemic, add tens of thousands of dollars of grants and sponsorships, developed security, streetscape, marketing, events and community initiatives and advocated for the businesses of the area with the City and Province in matters of transportation, parking, Covid relief and, perhaps most significantly, the Green Line LRT project – the construction of which has had a major impact on our community.
Growing our community. Growing our voice.
The Proposed Expansion
Marked in blue, our current footprint encompasses Centre St. N. from 8th Ave. to 14th Ave. The proposed expansion takes the BIA footprint:
- North to the intersection of Centre St. N and 20th Avenue West to the intersection of 16th Avenue and 4th St. N.W.
- East to the intersection of 16th Avenue and Edmonton Tr. N.E.
- And South on Edmonton Tr. to the intersection of 6th Avenue and Edmonton Tr. N.E.
Growing our Community. Growing our Voice.
Why Expand?
01.
Resources
We’re a little BIA up to big things. An expanded footprint will make us a bigger BIA and allow us to do huge things.
The proposed expansion would grow our financial resources, while alleviating some of the burden on businesses in our existing footprint.
That means resources for events, marketing programs, public art, public spaces, clean and safe initiatives and more.
02.
Influence
As Green Line construction north of the river remains uncertain, your voice at City Hall is more important than ever.
By growing our footprint to include hundreds of additional business owners with the same concerns, our voice becomes more powerful and more influential with decision-makers.
03.
Community
A Business Improvement Area is a community of businesses working together to achieve goals that benefit everyone. Knowing your neighbours and being connected to the business-owners around you creates opportunities to grow everyone’s businesses…and the bigger the community, the bigger the opporutnities.
Growing our community. Growing our voice.
The Proposed Expansion
Marked in blue, our current footprint encompasses Centre St. N. from 8th Ave. to 14th Ave. The proposed expansion takes the BIA footprint:
North to the intersection of Centre St. N and 20th Avenue West to the intersection of 16th Avenue and 4th St. N.W.
East to the intersection of 16th Avenue and Edmonton Tr. N.E.
And South on Edmonton Tr. to the intersection of 6th Avenue and Edmonton Tr. N.E.
03.
The Letter of Intent
04.
The List
Growing our Community. Growing our Voice.
Why Expand?
01.
Resources
We’re a little BIA up to big things. An expanded footprint will make us a bigger BIA and allow us to do huge things.
The proposed expansion would grow our financial resources, while alleviating some of the burden on businesses in our existing footprint.
That means resources for events, marketing programs, public art, public spaces, clean and safe initiatives and more.
02.
Influence
As Green Line construction north of the river remains uncertain, your voice at City Hall is more important than ever.
By growing our footprint to include hundreds of additional business owners with the same concerns, our voice becomes more powerful and more influential with decision-makers.
03.
Community
A Business Improvement Area is a community of businesses working together to achieve goals that benefit everyone. Knowing your neighbours and being connected to the business-owners around you creates opportunities to grow everyone’s businesses…and the bigger the community, the bigger the opporutnities.
What We've Already Accomplished Together
What We've Already Accomplished Together
- You Belong Art Benches
- Murals
- Garbage Cans/ Recycling
- Flowers
- Banners
- Street Signage
- Crescent Moon Festival
- Trunk Shows
- Graffiti Removal Matching Grant
- Clean Community Captain Grant
- Green Line Interim Plan with City Hall
- Christmas Campaign
- Lunar New Year Campaign
- Love Local Newsletter
- Articles in Media about the Neighbourhood
- YYC Bubble Tea Fest
- Community Clean Ups
- Easter Egg Hunt
- Student Art Show
- Free Marketing Videos
- Partnerships with Tourism Calgary
- You Belong Art Benches
- Murals
- Garbage Cans/ Recycling
- Flowers
- Banners
- Street Signage
- Crescent Moon Festival
- Trunk Shows
- Graffiti Removal Matching Grant
- Clean Community Captain Grant
- Green Line Interim Plan with City Hall
- Christmas Campaign
- Lunar New Year Campaign
- Love Local Newsletter
- Articles in Media about the Neighbourhood
- YYC Bubble Tea Fest
- Community Clean Ups
- Easter Egg Hunt
- Student Art Show
- Free Marketing Videos
- Partnerships with Tourism Calgary
What does this mean for my business?
Businesses in existing footprint:
Expanded Activities, Decreased Tax Rate
A small number of businesses currently carry the operations of the BIA including staff, events, marketing, streetscape, public art, advocacy and more. The result is a tax rate that is at the higher end compared to other BIAs. Expanding the BIA will allow us to bring our tax rate down while significantly expanding our activities.
Better Visibility
Including 16th Avenue in our BIA, allows us to create highly visible gateways into our community at Centre St. and Edmonton Tr.
Diversity of Businesses
The expanded area creates more diversity in the types and sizes of businesses in our community. That means more opportunity for partnerships, collaborations and cross marketing with your neighbours.
Economies of Scale
The BIA will be able to negotiate better pricing on all of our marketing, streetscape, event and other expenses with larger numbers.
Businesses in expansion area:
A Voice at City Hall
Today, you are one voice out there in the world trying to advocate for your business among tens of thousands of other voices doing the same thing. Belonging to a BIA makes you a part of a large, influential group of business owners who already have relationships, knowledge and influence with the people who make decisions that impact your business.
Big Impact for your Small Business
Creating a customer-friendly streetscape, running major marketing campaigns, hosting events that bring new customers to your business, making storefront improvements to boost your curb appeal are all initiatives that are: 1. Important for growing your business, and 2. Nearly impossible to afford on your own. Pooling your resources with your neighbours allows you to have a much larger impact than you could have on your own.
A New Tax
BIAs are organizations that allow businesses with the same interests in the same geographical area to pool their resources in a way that helps everyone accomplish things they couldn’t do on their own such as marketing, events, pageantry, security and more. Currently, these activities are funded by a tax to the business owner based on the assessed value of the real estate from which your business operates. Learn more about BIA taxes here.
What does this mean for my business?
Businesses in existing footprint:
Expanded Activities, Decreased Tax Rate
A small number of businesses currently carry the operations of the BIA including staff, events, marketing, streetscape, public art, advocacy and more. The result is a tax rate that is at the higher end compared to other BIAs. Expanding the BIA will allow us to bring our tax rate down while significantly expanding our activities.
Better Visibility
Including 16th Avenue in our BIA, allows us to create highly visible gateways into our community at Centre St. and Edmonton Tr.
Diversity of Businesses
The expanded area creates more diversity in the types and sizes of businesses in our community. That means more opportunity for partnerships, collaborations and cross marketing with your neighbours.
Economies of Scale
The BIA will be able to negotiate better pricing on all of our marketing, streetscape, event and other expenses with larger numbers.
Businesses in expansion area:
A New Tax
BIAs are organizations that allow businesses with the same interests in the same geographical area to pool their resources in a way that helps everyone accomplish things they couldn’t do on their own such as marketing, events, pageantry, security and more. Currently, these activities are funded by a tax to the business owner based on the assessed value of the real estate from which your business operates. Learn more about BIA taxes here.
A Voice at City Hall
Today, you are one voice out there in the world trying to advocate for your business among tens of thousands of other voices doing the same thing. Belonging to a BIA makes you a part of a large, influential group of business owners who already have relationships, knowledge and influence with the people who make decisions that impact your business.
Big Impact for your Small Business
Creating a customer-friendly streetscape, running major marketing campaigns, hosting events that bring new customers to your business, making storefront improvements to boost your curb appeal are all initiatives that are: 1. Important for growing your business, and 2. Nearly impossible to afford on your own. Pooling your resources with your neighbours allows you to have a much larger impact than you could have on your own.
Fast Facts
Fast Facts
Boundaries
The expansion would grow the footprint to include Centre St. up to 20th Ave., 16th Ave. from 4th St. NW to EdmontonTr. and Edmonton Tr. from 16th Ave. to 6th Ave. NE.
Number of Businesses
The expansion would increase the number of businesses in the BIA from 120 to 290, which is the average size of a BIA in Calgary.
Levy Rate
With more businesses contributing, we’ll be able to lower the current levy rate (0.02734%) bringing it more in line with the average (0.0205%).
Timing
If approved, the new boundaries, levy rate and budget would be in effect for 2024.
Annual Budget
The expansion would increase our annual budget from $120,000 to one that is more in line with similar-sized BIAs while still remaining below the 2023 average of $278,000.
What ratepayers are saying
What ratepayers are saying
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will my BIA tax be?
Each business’ tax is different depending on the assessed value of the real estate from which it operates. Contact the BIA office for an estimate based on your current location. See FAQs for a breakdown of current levies by business type and size.
What is the process of expanding the BIA?
The BIA has submitted a letter of intent to the City of Calgary regarding the expansion. Over the spring and summer of 2023, the BIA will be engaging with the community, asking questions, answering questions and gathering feedback from existing ratepayers, potential ratepayers and other stakeholders.
In the summer of 2023, the BIA will submit a report of our engagement activities and the feedback we received. Based on this report, a final proposed footprint will be submitted for approval and then put to Council for a vote.
What if I don't want to be a part of the BIA?
A Business Improvement Area includes all of the businesses within the approved footprint, so we want to make sure we have the support of as many as possible. The community engagement process mentioned above is your opportunity to ask questions, express concerns and communicate with the BIA, the City and other stakeholders. There are a number of ways to do this, which will be outlined below.
How do I ask questions or provide my feedback?
There are a number of ways to engage in the process, including:
- Bookmarking this page to stay up-to-date on the process and opportunities for engagement.
- Submitting this form with your questions and/or feedback.
- Contacting the BIA office by phone, text or email at (403) 701-7686 or info@crescentheightsvillage.ca
- Attending an information session or event.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will my BIA tax be?
Each business’ tax is different depending on the assessed value of the real estate from which it operates. Contact the BIA office for an estimate based on your current location.
What is the process of expanding the BIA?
The BIA has submitted a letter of intent to the City of Calgary regarding the expansion. Over the spring and summer of 2023, the BIA will be engaging with the community, asking questions, answering questions and gathering feedback from existing ratepayers, potential ratepayers and other stakeholders.
In the fall of 2023, the BIA will submit a report of our engagement activities and the feedback we received. Based on this report, a final proposed footprint will be submitted for approval and then put to Council for a vote.
What if I don't want to be a part of the BIA?
A Business Improvement Area includes all of the businesses within the approved footprint, so we want to make sure we have the support of as many as possible. The community engagement process mentioned above is your opportunity to ask questions, express concerns and communicate with the BIA, the City and other stakeholders. There are a number of ways to do this, which will be outlined below.
How do I ask questions or provide my feedback?
There are a number of ways to engage in the process, including:
- Bookmarking this page to stay up-to-date on the process and opportunities for engagement.
- Submitting this form with your questions and/or feedback.
- Contacting the BIA office by phone, text or email at (403) 701-7686 or info@crescentheightsvillage.ca
- Attending an information session or event. Dates will be posted on this web page.
How do I ask questions or provide my feedback?
There are a number of ways to engage in the process, including:
- Bookmarking this page to stay up-to-date on the process and opportunities for engagement.
- Submitting this form with your questions and/or feedback.
- Contacting the BIA office by phone, text or email at (403) 701-7686 or info@crescentheightsvillage.ca
- Attending an information session or event. Dates will be posted on this web page.
Expansion Timeline
SUBMIT LETTER OF INTENT
MARCH 2023
INFORMATION & ENGAGEMENT
SPRING/SUMMER 2023
ADJUST AND REPORT
JULY/AUG 2023
SUBMIT TO CITY
JULY/AUG 2023
COUNCIL APPROVAL
OCT. 2023
upcoming Information Sessions
Downloads 下载 下載
Ratepayers in current area
现有地区的纳税人 現有地區的納稅人
Ratepayers in EXPANSION area
扩展区的纳税人 擴展區的納稅人
Expansion Timeline
SUBMIT LETTER OF INTENT
MARCH 2023
INFORMATION & ENGAGEMENT
SPRING/SUMMER 2023
ADJUST AND REPORT
JULY/AUGUST 2023
SUBMIT TO COUNCIL
SUMMER 2023
COUNCIL APPROVAL
OCTOBER 2023
Information Sessions
All scheduled information sessions are now complete.
If you’d like to meet someone in person to answer your questions, contact info@crescentheightsvillage.ca
Information Sessions
All scheduled information sessions are now complete.
If you’d like to meet someone in person to answer your questions, contact info@crescentheightsvillage.ca
