London’s Hamilton Road business group to hold annual meeting

Members of the Hamilton Road Business Association are gathering Thursday night for a special annual general meeting.

Businesses and owners along Hamilton Road are invited to join the group as they establish the Hamilton Road Business Improvement Area (BIA), an initiative the group has been working to form for the past 15 years.

The meeting is being held at the Crouch Library, 550 Hamilton Rd., from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Hamilton Road Business Association recently received a grant from the city of London as they implement their BIA.

“When it come to associations like ours, a lot of volunteer time gets used and it’s normally not enough to get all of the administrative tasks done that we need,” said Hamilton Road Business Association president Rick Pinheiro.

“So, we reached out to the city and they provided us with a $50,000 grant, as the did for other BIAs that are in existence, to help us get that accomplished.”

Pinheiro says they will be hearing from local businesses as they work towards a fully functioning BIA by the end of 2018.

“We want to make sure that all of the businesses on Hamilton Road are well aware of what’s going on,” said Pinheiro

“We’re not about hiding anything, we want them to participate and be involved, and we want to hear their opinions and ideas.”

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The Hamilton Road corridor is lined with restaurants and businesses, and is home to a number of tree trunk carvings that give the community a unique appeal.

Working with the local community, the city has been planning a Community Improvement Plan (CIP), which started last June. The finalized CIP will be presented in June and implemented thereafter.

For more information on the Hamilton Road Business Association, visit their website here.