Prescott offers positive economic outlook for 2012

Posted Jan 19, 2012 By Jill Hudson

Economic improvements are percolating in Prescott, the little town that could.

The BIA and council have been working to make 2012 a productive year.

Chuck Street took over the role as the head of Prescott's BIA last July. He is enthusiastic about the town's future and is putting together a budget and business plan for guaranteed success. He said the BIA has put efforts into improving the atmosphere downtown for shoppers with decorations and lit up the Christmas tree which is located near the clock tower.

He told the EMC about the unique way the BIA is getting its message into shoppers' bags. The BIA put out downtown Prescott postcards which featured the tree, the clock tower, the museum. These postcards were placed in shopping bags by participating merchants during the Christmas season. "They turned out to be popular - a lot of people came downtown specifically to get them. They will become little advertising and promotions that will hopefully linger on for Prescott."

Street said the idea originally was to put the cards in an information rack. "For me as a postcard it would have a lot more legs. A postcard - you can't throw away - it's got value. So you stick it on your fridge or in a drawer."

Street said the budget for the coming year is being put together now. He said looking forward, focus will be put on making Prescott a place where someone will want to open up a business.

"We do a lot of focus on the shoppers, the customers - but one of the things that I need is a better variety of retail stores in downtown Prescott to be able to promote the whole shopping district and make it more valuable," said Street. "So that is my focus - this coming year is making improvements, outreaching, assisting perspective merchants access grants - CIP (community improvement program) Plan Funds - that sort of thing and connecting with landlords and anything else we can do to make downtown Prescott a place you want to open a store."

In case people do not already know, he said CIP has ways that downtown property owners or merchants can get some help. He said this includes the heritage sign grant - which will pay half of the cost of the heritage sign, façade improvement programs - in which the town pays up to 50 per cent of façade improvements, and the tax increment grant.

"What it does is it freezes your taxes before you do improvements to a property - so if you were to buy an empty lot downtown - if you applied for the grant before you build the building we would freeze the taxes for five years at today's rate. So, you'll be paying taxes on an empty lot for five years while it actually has a full $1 million building on it."

He said business owners can access all of the grants and they can apply for the program multiple times. Street said the goal is to improve the downtown community for everyone.

"That makes it more attractive for more people to come to town, invest and open new stores - which will, of course, spin into more customers and make downtown Prescott a better shopping centre."

Street said they are looking to add another mural in Prescott's downtown, to create souvenirs and marketing material around the existing mural.

Part of his focus is to make Prescott a destination, with interesting points of interest - in addition to the museum downtown and the Hans Fireworks Museum.

"We're trying to build attractions - here's a reason to come to Prescott - come for the day, spend lunch, spend some money, visit the museum, check out the murals...try to make it a place where you can go and actually do something - rather than run into a store, grab something and then leave."

Street said the Prescott BIA is making a three-to-five year growth plan which lays out goals such as developing the farmers' market, re-doing the clock tower, murals, even trees on the sidewalks downtown and paving stone.

He is going to research what needs to come to Prescott to increase business. "Also doing some surveying to find out what sort of business that we need - what are the holes in the market, how we can recruit specific kinds of business that we want. The next couple of years are going to be very busy and hopefully come out of the next couple of years smelling like roses."

He said the BIA is tying some initiatives to the 1812 celebrations.

He distilled the message to this, "Sometimes people get discouraged and say, "Nothing's going on" but there really is," stated Street. "Even in the last couple of years there's been a lot of activity around Prescott and building, property changing hands. Sometimes people don't see it. It is happening - people are showing confidence in our community and investing in it. So now we just have to make it better ourselves."

Prescott Mayor Brett Todd is also optimistic about the town's economic forecast. In an email to the EMC the mayor wrote, "Where 2011 was a year of transition for us in Prescott, with a new mayor, new council, and new CAO, 2012 should be a year of expansion," said the mayor. "We have a lot of great things on the way. We have new economic development in our north end with Speedy Transport building there this summer. Council will be working on the town's first-ever Strategic Plan beginning later this month. We should also see work finally starting on the new park on the town dock in front of the Mariners' Club condominiums. And of course we also have the opening of the new visitors centre at Fort Wellington in May, the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival marking its 10th anniversary this July, and much more."

Todd said that he is optimistic about 2012. He welcomes the radio station which will be coming to Prescott - which should be on the air before the end of the year. "I am very optimistic about the year ahead in every respect. We even should be welcoming Prescott's first radio station since 1942, as Haliburton Broadcasting received a radio license for the Fort Town last summer from the CRTC. If all goes well, Haliburton's new Prescott station should be on the air at 107.9 FM before the end of 2012."

Daniel Roddick, from Edward Jones in Prescott, will be taking over the role of President of the Prescott & District Chamber of Commerce at its upcoming annual general meeting, at which point he will be discussing priorities for 2012.