A new year! Read The Free Press, online and in print, as we cover the biggest stories of 2009 in London

More free parking and historic building preservation is on the wish list of some Londoners.
Strong year a cushion for hard times

Kate Dubinski Sun Media

December 18, 2008

It's been a bit of a banner year for the city's core.

MainStreet London hired four downtown greeters -Kylie Hilliard, left, Heather Graham, Meghan Stuart and Kaitelyn Andrew - as the SuperGuides during the summer. (File photo) The Brunswick Hotel disappeared from the downtown landscape this year. (File photo) (File photo) Galleria London is getting an impressive, new glass entrance treatment at the Wellington Street entrance south of King Street. The new look can be seen in an artist's conception inside the pedestrian walkway. (KEN WIGHTMAN/Sun Media) The facade of the Capitol theatre will be preserved and the interior transformed into office space. (SUSAN BRADNAM/Sun Media)

Residential towers, more parking and a revitalization -- of sorts -- for the Galleria.

"Downtown in 2008 -- I think we've drawn a lot more attention to it, and we're seeing the fruits of our labour," says Bob Usher, the manager of Covent Garden Market and chairperson of the London Downtown Business Association (LDBA).

The recession may force some people to stay home, but many will still want to get away from everyday troubles and take in a hockey game or have a drink, says Janette MacDonald, manager of Mainstreet London.

"We want to keep the momentum going. We're going to keep on recruiting new businesses, recruiting new residents, and the London Downtown Business Association is working on some beautification plans," says MacDonald.

"I think people may not go out as much (during a recession), but they still go out. There's still money out there, and we hope people will continue to spend it downtown."

The core also lost two landmark buildings to fire and demolition this year: The Brunswick Hotel at the corner of Richmond and York streets and Locus Mount on Talbot Street.

But despite those setbacks, MacDonald highlights two programs -- one which, in partnership with city hall, gives forgivable loans through the city's community improvement plan, and has facilitated a lot of upgrades to many core buildings.

The other, SuperGuides, which saw four greeters fan out around downtown in the summer to give people brochures, directions, or just smiles, will return in summer 2009.

A grocery store for the core is still a ways down the road, says MacDonald, but the dream is getting closer as more people move downtown.

"It's a bit of a pipe dream, but we want to stay the course and keep things going," she says.

Although parking is still a big issue, especially during business hours, new plans to have free metered spots through all of December will hopefully draw in more shoppers, Usher says.

"I think 2008 was one of the best years for downtown, it's really starting to refill," he says.

"(Parking) is a positive problem to have. A couple of years ago, you could have shot a cannon through here and not hit anyone. Now we need more parking."

The LDBA is funding more metal art trees and is also working with Reforest London to put up real trees, Usher says.

From the business perspective, the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) is still working to draw in companies to fill vacant office space in the core, says Peter White, who heads the corporation.

"People are starting to see improvements and to see that downtown London is a great place to work," White says.

"Our big goal is to get as many companies as we can from the (Greater Toronto Area) to locate here. We have to let them know that we have great buildings at a far less cost to them than in the GTA."

Galleria scored a big-name retailer, Suzy Shier, this year, and is also being re-packed with call centres, education campuses and other entities.

More of the same in 2009 can only mean good things for the core, says MacDonald.

"We want to stay the course," she says.

-- -- --

DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENTS 2008:

The London Potters Guild buys a run-down building on Dundas Street just east of Adelaide and begins rebuilding it as their new home, just one signal of the Old East Village revitalization.

The facade of the Capitol theatre will be preserved and the interior transformed into office space after city hall strikes a deal to pay $5.6 million for a 20-year lease from developer Shmuel Farhi.

Four SuperGuides patrol the core all summer long as the London Downtown Business Association launches the pilot project to put forward a friendly face for visitors. The guides give out pamphlets, give directions, and even drop in coins to expired metres to make being downtown a more pleasant experience.

The long fight to save the Brunswick Hotel, at the corner of York and Richmond streets, is over when employees arrive to work to find a wrecking ball has taken out large chunks of walls. A fire then sweeps through the building, forcing its leveling and leaving an empty lot.

Butt bins are added to the colourful fabric of downtown when a London youth group paints "Butt out (here)" in fluorescent pink and green graffiti-style lettering on cigarette bins all over downtown, encouraging smokers to put their butts in the bins, not on the ground.

Galleria London scoops up retailer Suzy Shier and construction on the outside and inside of the downtown landmark continues, paving the way for its revitalization.

Heritage building Locus Mount, after years of disrepair, burns down, marking the end of a Talbot Street streetscape many had hoped would be restored.

More metal trees go up downtown, to applause from some and chagrin from others, and more real trees are planted, too.

DOWNTOWN WISH LIST 2009:

Grocery store

More people living downtown

More parking -- wish partly granted by city hall when it endorses expansion of a pilot project that's seen parking on the west side of Richmond Street, south of Oxford Street.

More trees -- real and metal

Kate Dubinski is a Free Press reporter.

E-MAIL: Kate Dubinski

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