City councillors have approved a strategy for addressing a significant office vacancy rate in Hamilton’s downtown core.
The action plan speaks to increased financial incentives and support for businesses experiencing vandalism, as well as a staff liaison to stick-handle concerns and city services.
The International Village BIA’s Susie Braithwaite, speaking to councilors on Wednesday, said it’s a “great start,” but she adds that the biggest issues turning away prospective tenants are a lack of parking for employees and a perceived lack of safety in the core.
“It’s really not in our benefit to get up here and say downtown is unsafe”, said Braithwaite, ” so I really do hope that everybody takes this seriously. Myself, being a woman, having worked in that BIA for 13 years, it’s definitely shifted. I don’t feel safe, my business owners don’t feel safe.”
The Downtown Hamilton BIA’s Emily Walsh echoes those remarks saying prospective office tenants are being “discouraged” by the current state of the core.
“They’re having these negative interactions right at the doorways of these buildings, that are really just souring the entire interaction”, said Walsh.
A report presented to the general issues committee says the current downtown office vacancy rate is 13.29 per cent, but the BIA representatives indicate that a separate survey puts the figure much higher, up to 75 per cent in some office towers.
In addition to an increase in vandalism, growing safety concerns and traffic and parking concerns, the staff report indicates shifting work-from-home policies following the pandemic as a factor in the higher office vacancy rate.