Overviews
Highlights of the 2008 AGM to come......
Highlights of the 2007 AGM – held April 2008
The launch of a grants program to revitalize the downtown, the branding of the downtown and a balanced budget were the highlights of the 2007 Annual General Meeting of the Downtown Association, held in April at the Windsor Park . The meeting also saw the election of the 2008 Board of Directors and the introduction of Anna Boyonoski , the new manager of the Downtown Association. The organization represents a membership of approximately 400 businesses including 150 business owners and 250 commercial tenants.
“We’re very pleased with the number of new businesses that are continuing to move into the downtown as well as the continued support of existing members,” says Alison Walton, chair of the Downtown Association. “We knew that the Downtown Development Initiative was much anticipated, however, we were pleasantly surprised with the immediate success so early in the program.”
The implementation of the grants portion of the Downtown Development Initiative was launched in August 2007 with funding from FedNor, the city of Sault Ste. Marie , the Rural Economic Development Fund of the Provincial government and PUC.
“Early indications are that the modest incentives provided in the form of matching grants are encouraging significant private sector investments and its anticipated that work on many of the approved projects will commence in the spring of 2008 and continue through the construction months,” says Udo Rauk , project manager for the Downtown Development Initiative. "Design work has started on improvements to the laneways at Paul Mall and King/Queen and into the greening of Downtown at select sites and improvements such as benches, information kiosks and signage. In addition, there will also be a co-operative marketing campaign targeting the filling of major vacant Downtown sites."
The AGM also unveiled the Association’s strategic plans for the coming year which includes:
* the expansion of membership
* the development of a mercato or marketplace;
* the continued need to attract people who work and live in the Downtown.
Members and invited guests were also introduced to Anna Boyonoski , the new manager for the Association who was hired in March 2008. Anna, who hails from Sault Ste. Marie, brings with her a dozen years of management experience with a focus on customer relations and project management. Having previously worked in Southern Ontario, Anna returned to the Sault in 2006 and, most recently, taught at Algoma University .
“I’m really pleased to be a part of an Association that is experiencing such great change,” says Anna. “I believe that my background will complement the already-initiated efforts of the board and staff and provide scope on how we can achieve our current strategies.”
Other Downtown Association staff members include Anna Boyonoski as Manager, Cindy Ellen Crawford as Communication Strategist and Kyle Brick as Communications Officer (intern). Udo Rauk is the Project Manager for the Downtown Development Initiative.
Annual General Meeting Highlights
Highlights of the 2007 Downtown AGM
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