Etobicoke Lakeshore BIA Report 09 Sept 13

THE SHORESBusiness Improvement District

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TABLE OF CONTENTS...........................................................................................................................................Recommended Action Plans 3

.............................................................................................................................................................INTRODUCTION 1

..........................................................................................................................SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 2

......................................................................................................................................BACKGROUND 2

..........................................................................................................................................CREATING A DESTINATION 4

...............................................................................................................................................Branding 4

.............................................................................................................................................Marke9ng 5

...............................................................................................RESOURCES REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN 6

..............................................................................................................Human & Financial Resources 6

..................................................................................................................................SAFETY AND SECURITY/CRIME 8

............................................................................................................................REVITALIZING THE STREETSCAPE 9

................................................................................General Streetscape Recommendations for 'The Shores' District 11

....................................................................................................................................BIA Specific Recommendations 17

................................................................................................................................Long Branch Village 17

.............................................................................................North Side of Lake Shore Boulevard West 19

..............................................................................................................................Lakeshore Village BIA 23

..........................................................................................................................Mimico by the Lake BIA 28

..................................................................................................................................Mimico Village BIA 33

....................................................................................................................................................................Appendix A 37

............................................................................................................................................Mee9ng Log 37

....................................................................................................................................................................Appendix B 38

..................................................................................................................Summary of Survey Analysis 38

...................................................................................................................................................................Appendix C 42

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RECOMMENDED ACTION PLANSRECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN & AFFECTED BIARECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN & AFFECTED BIARECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN & AFFECTED BIA

Branding Branding Branding

Develop a branding strategy The Shores 1-2 Years

Marketing Marketing Marketing

Develop and undertake a marketing campaign The Shores 1-5 Years

Human & Financial Resources Human & Financial Resources Human & Financial Resources

Establish local partnership to identify human

resources for the execution of the branding

and marketing strategies

The Shores 1-2 Years

Develop a sponsorship strategy The Shores 1-5 Years

Adopt a Rewards Card for 'The Shores' The Shores 1-2 Years

Utilize digital signage for events and

brand promotionThe Shores 1-2 Years

Safety, Security, CrimeSafety, Security, CrimeSafety, Security, Crime

Commission a site specific Crime Prevention

through environmental design reportThe Shores 1-2 Years

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RECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN & AFFECTED BIARECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN & AFFECTED BIARECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN & AFFECTED BIA

StreetscapeStreetscapeStreetscape

Establish a manual to guide landowners The Shores 1-5 Years

Maintain existing healthy street trees

replacing those that are dead, dying and

no longer viable


Remove existing raised curb tree surrounds

and replace with 'Shores' standard tree gratesThe Shores 5-10 Years

Continue to use existing corner nodes as

street amenity opportunities occurring at major

intersections and lake front access corridors

(i.e. Superior Avenue and Amos Waites Park)


ParkingParkingParking

Commission a parking study The Shores 1-2 Years

Replace asphalt with unit paving

in parking apronThe Shores 1-5 Years

Reorganize curbing at corners The Shores 1-5 Years

Reconfigure curb cuts which service laneways,

street related parking lots, etcThe Shores 1-5 Years

Paint the asphalt parking apron a contrasting

colour or patternThe Shores 1-2 Years

Reconfigure massive curb cuts which service

street related parking lots

Mimico By The Lake

Mimico Village1-5 Years

Reorganize angled parking or convert to

parallel parkingLong Branch 5-10 Years

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SignageSignageSignage

Investigate feasibility of generic

'The Shores' signage relating to Gardiner

Expressway interface points, i.e. Highway 427/

Brown’s Line, Kipling Ave., Islington Ave., Park

Lawn Rd. and South Kingsway


Investigate the use of available 'community

time' on Gardiner Expressway replacement

LED signboards


Identify and brand primary BIA gateways along

Lake Shore Blvd West at Long Branch Avenue

and Twenty Second Street to the east at

associated corner nodes while also clearly

identifying Long Branch Avenue and Twenty

Second Street as lakefront access corridors

Long Branch 5-10 Years


Lake Shore Blvd West at Twelfth Street and

Dwight Avenue to the east at associated

corner nodes while also clearly identifying

11th, 6th and 3rd Streets as lakefront

access corridors

Lakeshore Village 5-10 Years


Lake Shore Blvd West at Allen Avenue and

Alexander Street to the east at associated

corner nodes while also clearly identifying

Superior Avenue and Amos Waites Park as

lakefront access corridors

Mimico By The Lake 5-10 Years

Identify and brand primary Mimico Village

BIA gatewaysMimico Village 5-10 Years

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RECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN & AFFECTED BIARECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN & AFFECTED BIARECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN & AFFECTED BIARECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN & AFFECTED BIA

LightingLightingLightingLighting

Due to the existing investments made in

various BIA specific lighting standards that a

new language of 'Shores' branded light

standards be added as a second 'layer'

occurring at BIA gateways, strategic corner

nodes and lakefront access corridors

The ShoresThe Shores 5-10 Years

Develop a tree lighting strategy The ShoresThe Shores 1-2 Years

Connection to WaterfrontConnection to WaterfrontConnection to WaterfrontConnection to Waterfront

Provide electronic information kiosks at

corner nodes of significance which flank

lake front access corridors complete with

security features, e.g. emergency call

stations


Installation of companion information kiosks

at lakefront end of access corridors as

digital connection to Lake Shore Blvd West

businesses and events


Use of a common language of paving at

intersections denoting lakefront

access corridors


Identify Royal York Road as a lakefront

access corridorMimico VillageMimico Village 1-2 Years

TransitTransitTransitTransit

Reorganize transit islandsReorganize transit islands The Shores 5-10 Years

Install electronic information kiosks at Long

Branch and Mimico GO Stations

Install electronic information kiosks at Long

Branch and Mimico GO Stations

Mimico Village &

Long Branch5-10 Years

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EventsEventsEvents

Establish an annual ‘The Shores’ event The Shores 1-5 Years

Create an event/information 'hub' (physical

and digital) which will inform the public of BIA

associated events and act as 'Ground Zero'

for all 'The Shores' activities. Suitable sites

for consideration may be Amos Waites Park

(Mimico Square) or Humber College

associated street front locations


RoadworkRoadworkRoadwork

Lake Shore Boulevard West and Royal York

Road asphalt paving requires improvement

and maintenance including unit paving

banding at primary intersections, TTC nodes

and lakefront access corridors


Paint banding to denote nodes of significance

while also denoting primary pedestrian

crossings adding to pedestrian safety and

connecting north and south components of

Lake Shore Boulevard West


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Green NodesGreen NodesGreen Nodes

Creation of 'Green Nodes' at lakefront

access corridorsThe Shore 1-5 Years

Reprogram Amos Waites Park to establish it

as an event and information hub for both

Mimico By The Lake as well as 'The Shores'

in general

Mimico By The Lake 1-5 Years

Storefronts & FacadesStorefronts & FacadesStorefronts & Facades

Commission storefront/façade study to

promote BIA unified revitalization of existing

storefronts, to include available funding

opportunities, design resources (Humber

College) and revitalization precedents.


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INTRODUCTION

The community of Etobicoke-Lakeshore is experiencing a renaissance and as such is on the cusp of significant change. There is an opportunity for the business community to embrace the changes and shape and inform them in order to create better conditions for economic growth and employment generation, which in turn can result in a better quality of life for both the residents and business owners as business increases, property values increase and a sense of safety is restored.

The Etobicoke-Lakeshore area is made up of four Business Improvement Areas (BIA): Mimico by the Lake, Mimico Village, LakeShore Village and Long Branch. While each of the BIAs operates independently, representatives meet monthly as a joint committee to discuss and address common objectives and concerns. The economic health of Etobicoke-Lakeshore is of utmost concern in these discussions. A move to invest to create an inviting and animated streetscape will foster positive energy that will attract more people and more business to the area.

This report recommends a number of initiatives for the BIAs consideration that, if implemented, will encourage local residents to shop local, and help attract more people and more businesses to the area.

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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONSBACKGROUND

On December 14, 2012, the joint committee approved a proposal from Sutherland & Associates to establish a working group made up of representatives from each of the BIAs in order to:

Identify short-term and long-term action plans to facilitate the branding of the area that includes all 4 BIAs and revitalization of the streetscape to increase the identity and desirability of the area as a destination.

Recommend a communications tool that will engage a) the membership b) residents, and c) other stakeholders (e.g. LakeShore Arts Community & Humber College) and encourage them to 'have their say'

Identify revenue generating opportunities that could help subsidize the cost of implementing elements of the action plan.

Subsequent to this meeting, each of the four BIAs met independently and nominated 2 members to the working group as follows:

• Mimico by the Lake• David Pritchard• Susan Nagy• Mimico Village• William Kassel• Robert Bozzo• LakeShore Village• Everett Sheppard (later replaced by Dallas Dyer)• Carol Ledden• Long Branch• Dietmar Lein• Pena Baldassi (later replaced by Jim McNeil)

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The Working Group met on February 6, 2013. The meeting agenda included a discussion regarding proposed timelines for the final report and a review of the draft survey prepared by Sutherland & Associates.

Sutherland & Associates anticipated distributing the survey electronically; however it was quickly determined at the meeting that this was not feasible as the BIAs did not have the data needed to support this. Therefore, the survey was distributed manually by the BIAs to their members and additionally, the Long Branch also mailed out the survey to many building owners. This resulted in a much more labour-intensive process than originally anticipated.

Sutherland & Associates collected the surveys from the BIA working group members, manually input the data and analyzed the results.

The response rate was as follows:

Mimico by the Lake 11 responses out of 21 (52%)Mimico Village 7 responses out of 20 (35%)LakeShore Village 56 responses out of 150 (37%)Long Branch 27 responses out of 80 (33.75%)

The summary of survey results can be found in Appendix B.

Furthermore, the working group members were also contacted by phone for additional consultation. A summary of those discussions can be found in Appendix C.

The general concerns and opportunities identified that were of most concern included:

• Crime/Security/Safety• Parking• Streetscape/Sidewalks• Identity/Heritage/Signage• Lighting• Connection to Waterfront• Transit• Events• Roadwork• Green Space• Storefronts and Facades

Additional meetings took place with city staff from the economic development department, planning department and the local councillor’s office on February 11 and May 15, 2013.

A draft report was presented to the working group on July 11, 2013.

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CREATING A DESTINATIONBrandingSutherland & Associates recommends the four BIAs within Etobicoke-Lakeshore collectively develop a branding strategy, including a GTA-wide telephone poll to determine the level of recognition of the current 'Lakeshore' branding.

The Etobicoke-Lakeshore area is branded ‘The LakeShore’ for the purposes of marketing, which is reflected in the names of various committees, literature, social media forums, including, ‘Lake Shore Joint BIA committee’, ‘The Lakeshore’ newsletter, www.thelakeshore.ca website, and the ‘www.ourlakeshore.net’ residential community website.

Survey results indicate that over 60 per cent of respondents do not believe ‘The LakeShore’ is recognized as a destination. While this could be indicative of a lack of marketing, Sutherland & Associates supports this position for a variety of reasons: confusion exists regarding LakeShore, the area, versus Lake Shore, the street; there are a number of other jurisdictions and companies that use the name LakeShore in their title, i.e. Town of LakeShore in Belle River, Ontario; Lakeshore Inc in Jordan Station, Ontario; Lakeshore Baseball Association in Kirkland, QC. Generally speaking ‘Lakeshore’ is identified with a street and not the area, perhaps because Lake Shore Boulevard cuts across the entire city.

The brand is what distinguishes the area from the competition, ie. Bloor West Village; The Beach; the Danforth; Chinatown; providing businesses with a competitive edge. The brand should be distinct, serve to identify the location, and reflect the image wanting to be conveyed, ie. trendy, historic, expensive, economical, etc. A brand strategy may include, but not be limited to, the development of a logo, perhaps a tag line, and the creation of templates and standards for marketing materials.

Within this ‘umbrella’ brand, each of the four BIAs should continue to exist independently with their unique brand and market themselves accordingly. Creating an ‘umbrella’ brand allows pooled resources to achieve the maximum benefit. These pooled resources can focus on creating an identity for the district.

A brand that is currently being adopted informally is 'The Shores', evidenced by events like ‘Shop the Shore’ and ‘Skate the Shore’. Consideration should be given to adopting this name formally as the umbrella brand for the district, which will reduce the overall cost of a branding strategy.

For the purposes of this report, 'The Shores' refers to the entire BIA district.

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http://www.thelakeshore.ca

http://www.thelakeshore.ca

MarketingSutherland & Associates recommends the 4 BIAs within Etobicoke-Lakeshore collectively undertake a marketing campaign with a focus on attracting customers from the GTA and beyond.

Interestingly, there is no consensus with respect to BIA marketing. Both Mimico Village members and Mimico by the Lake members somewhat agree that the BIA district is being marketed to its fullest potential, whereas Lakeshore Village members and to a lesser extent Long Branch Village members have indicated a need for improvement.

Generally speaking, the mandate of any BIA is to positively impact the community experience and the beautification of their area will positively impacts a businesses’ bottom line. A marketing strategy is one of the many tools that can assist in achieving this objective. It will help identify the mission, vision and goals of the BIA and outline the steps to achieve those goals.

Clearly, each of the BIAs are at different stages of this process and it is recommended that they continue to develop and revisit their marketing plans to ensure the implementation of any short-term action items support the longer-term plan.

On a macro level, the four BIAs collectively will benefit from a marketing strategy once a new brand has been developed. This should help to attract new shoppers and new businesses to the area and to extend the BIA’s reach. The surveys suggest that the majority of patrons travel from within a 10 km radius. An overall marketing strategy will allow the four BIAs collectively to compete for business in other jurisdictions.

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RESOURCES REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE PLANHuman & Financial ResourcesConsideration be given to the following recommendations in order to offset the costs of the proposed initiatives:

• Identifying and utilizing local human resources for the execution of the branding and marketing strategies, where feasible;

• Developing a sponsorship strategy to offset the cost of the signage strategy and programming costs;

• Adopting a rewards card for 'The Shores' • Utilizing digital signage for events and brand promotion

The implementation of the recommended initiatives outlined throughout this report will require a significant outlay of funds. Revenue generating opportunities provide an effective way to subsidize the cost of implementation, reducing the need to increase the levy to members. The opportunities can range from one time to recurring and can be tied to a specific initiative or be used to replenish the general account for future use.

Etobicoke-Lakeshore is a community rich in human resources. A partnership with Humber College as well as community organizations such as Lakeshore Arts and Street Art Toronto, a City initiative that promotes local artists in the beautification of neighbourhoods, should be explored for the implementation of the branding and marketing strategies. Mimico by the Lake has demonstrated the potential success of this opportunity through the 'Birds and Beans' mural project it commissioned. Furthermore, the surveys identify other individuals that may be able to contribute to these initiatives.

Sponsorship opportunities can be a relatively easy and efficient way to generate revenues. From BIA-sanctioned events to way-finding signage, the potential is vast. The value of advertising on streets is measured by the number of consumers who actually notice an advertisement. This number is derived from a variety of data. An advertising value can be placed on way-finding signage, third-party signage, public venues and squares. Sponsorships can then be secured to offset the cost of the signage structures.

A relatively new approach to attracting new patrons and generating revenue for the BIA is through the use of rewards cards. The Waterfront BIA has adopted a card for use with participating businesses within its BIA that encourages local shopping while generating a revenue stream through transaction fees for the BIA. The benefits of such a card include:

Business members are offered a branded BIA rewards card to be distributed to their valued customers and/or for use themselves.

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• Promotion of local shopping, dining etc.• Promotion of the BIA to draw more prospective customers to the area

with window decals (opt in/out)• Increased BIA visibility (web traffic, social media, etc.)• Free online promotions and dedicated web portal• Creation of a database of customers and market for future events and promotions

(monthly newsletter, e-blasts, sweepstakes, etc.)• Use of the database for market research (demographics, customer behaviors, etc.)• Cross promotional opportunities with exciting partners • Target cardholders with emails (optional)• Physical cards that give instant recognition and advertising• Added value to business owners’ member benefits with the BIA

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SAFETY AND SECURITY/CRIMEIt is recommended that each BIA commission a site specific 'Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Report' to investigate issues of:

• Territoriality: fostering residents’ interaction, vigilance, and control over their neighbourhood

• Surveillance: maximizing the ability to spot suspicious people and activities• Activity support: encouraging the intended use of public space by residents• Hierarchy of space: identifying ownership by delineating private space

from public space through real or symbolic boundaries• Access control/target hardening: using physical barriers, security devices

and tamper-resistant materials to restrict entrance• Environmental design: a design or location decision that takes into account the

surrounding environment and minimizes the use of space by conflicting groups• Image/Maintenance: ensuring that a building or area is clean, well-maintained,

and graffiti-free

Crime was identified as an area of significant concern for all BIAs, but in particular by the Mimico by the Lake BIA with 90% of respondents identifying crime as a weakness.

A strong police presence is one of the best ways to ward off potential crime. Currently there are 4 police officers that patrol the area on foot. The police are also represented on the Joint BIA committee. While this approach and open dialogue has had positive results, the BIAs should look to create spaces that change the pre-condition required for crime to occur by changing the physical characteristics of people-gathering spaces. While this won’t necessarily eradicate crime, it will change the perception of safety and create a greater sense of control.

Crime generally prevails in foreboding areas where the average person will not venture. These areas tend to be dark and secluded. Through this revitalization process, the BIAs have an opportunity to mitigate crime and enhance crime prevention through environmental design. This includes giving consideration to the use of elements such as lighting, security features, and amenities in order to provide a perception of safety.

The use of lighting will create a sense of safety and security and draw more people to an area. The provision of clean public washrooms will encourage attendance by families. The use of programming, especially in the evening when it’s dark, will draw wanted attention. The use of live streaming webcams can be used as a marketing tool while also acting as a surveillance camera. These are just some examples of what can be done to create pre-conditions for a healthy, safe community.

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REVITALIZING THE STREETSCAPEThis assessment of the 4 BIA’s relative to possible streetscape improvements is intended to build on the considerable activities of the 4 BIA’s to enhance their visibility and amenities on Lake Shore Boulevard West and on Royal York Road. The challenges are considerable and difficult to negotiate given the varying street cross sections, the scale of the street, speed and volume of traffic and the desire to capture the individual identities in each of the BIA’s. Other important considerations are the shifts in demographics due to increased development and real estate activity in the whole of South Etobicoke.

Each BIA has shown a great deal of ingenuity, local pride and has added physical enhancements to try and capture the local sense of neighbourhood, history and identity associated with its boundaries.

It is evident there is considerable frustration since the area has been the subject of numerous planning studies, from main streets, The Lake Shore West Avenue Plan, LRT studies and the recent 20/20 study in the western Mimico area, especially given the lack of any major results or any real significant implementations to increase the amenity and desirable street character of the area as a whole.

Planner and designers have a tendency to idealize and want to formalize the street character based on traditional streets scape planning. For example, the Avenue Plan shows two existing and two idealized cross sections. Below are two examples from that report.

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General Streetscape Recommendations for 'The Shores' District

Below are some general recommendations regarding streetscaping opportunities for 'The Shores'. A preliminary review by two practitioners and professors at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, Robert Wright, MLA, OALA, CSLA, and Ivan Saleff, M.Arch., OAA, MRAIC, of existing conditions, stakeholder concerns, existing studies, guidelines, standards and precedents was undertaken to determine a viable direction for the associated BIAs. The following recommendations represent some of their findings.

The Shores Business Improvement District consists of four autonomous but intrinsically connected BIAs representing the historic villages of Long Branch Village, Lakeshore Village, Mimico by the Lake and Mimico Village. Long Branch Village, Lakeshore Village and Mimico by the Lake are located along Lake Shore Boulevard West from Long Branch Avenue at the west to Alexander Street at the eastern end. Mimico Village occupies a portion of Royal York Road bounded by Evans Avenue at the north to Newcastle Street at the southern boundary.

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The following recommendations propose to strengthen the presence of each individual BIA within the context of a larger unified brand of 'The Shores' in an attempt to develop new opportunities and synergies as a unified lakefront district keeping pace with current and future intensification trends without compromising the individual character of each. Each BIA must think outside of its own boundaries and secure not only a solid connection to adjacent BIAs but also to the lakefront. Together as a united front much more can be accomplished in terms of capitalizing on their unique location and ensuring appropriate future development that respects their needs, history and future. Intensification and development of this district will occur regardless due to demographic pressures. A unified voice as a major stake holder will provide better opportunities for determining the future of this district.

Parking

• Commission parking studies.• Replace asphalt with unit paving in parking apron using rows of contrasting coloured

paving to identify access points from curb cuts to drives. This would visually connect the BIAs by developing a common recognizable language. A short-term recommendation would be to paint the asphalt parking apron a contrasting colour or pattern with clearly defined parking spaces while using specific colour schemes to denote bike lanes and TTC stops if present. The above would visually diminish the perceived width of Lake Shore Boulevard West providing a pedestrian scale to the streetscape by reducing the amount of asphalt which currently includes traffic/ TTC lanes, bicycle lanes and parking within one massive expanse of asphalt.

• Reorganize curbing at corners to extend sidewalk apron and frame 'recessed' parallel or angled parking to create corner nodes and related opportunities for intensified streetscaping.

• Reconfigure curb cuts which service laneways, street related parking lots, etc. to denote entry and exit points.

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Streetscape & Sidewalks

• To assist in the creation of a distinct and recognizable business district, it is recommended that guidelines be established for streetscape elements including street furniture, tree grates, bicycle racks, signage, banners, lighting, asphalt markings, plantings, landscaping that will be used to guide landowners when planning improvement and revitalization projects.

Signage

• Identify and brand primary BIA gateways (refer above).• All signage/banners to be at a larger scale easily read by both

fast-paced vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.• Superimpose a second layer of generic 'The Shores' signage

(T.B.D).) at strategic locations (refer Streetscape and Lighting).• BIAs to investigate feasibility of generic 'The Shores' signage

relating to Gardiner Expressway interface points, i.e. Highway 427/Brown’s Line, Kipling Ave., Islington Ave., Park Lawn Rd. and South Kingsway.

• BIAs to investigate the use of available 'community time' on Gardiner Expressway replacement LED signboards for advertising of 'The Shores' community events.

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Lighting

• Design larger scale lighting features (with banners/signage) at BIA gateways which will be the same for all BIAs promoting 'The Shores'. It is recommended that due to the existing investments made in various BIA specific lighting standards that a new language of 'Shores' branded light standards be added as a second 'layer' occurring at BIA gateways, strategic corner nodes and lakefront access corridors. This would help maintain the autonomy of each BIA while establishing a unified 'Shores' umbrella brand.

• Develop a tree lighting strategy which will be common to all associated BIAs.

Connection to Waterfront

• Provide electronic information kiosks at corner nodes of significance which flank lake front access corridors complete with security features, e.g. emergency call stations.

• Installation of companion information kiosks at lakefront end of access corridors as digital connection to Lake Shore Boulevard West businesses and events.

• Refer 'Signage' for identification of lakefront access corridors.

• Use of a common language of paving at intersections denoting lakefront access corridors for all associated BIAs.

Transit

• Transit islands to be reorganized (T.B.D). Transit shelters to accommodate common 'The Shores' specific language/signage and to include decorative paving and public art.

• Install 'The Shores' electronic information kiosks at the Long Branch and Mimico Go Stations.

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Events

• Electronic information kiosks at corner nodes of significance to promote BIA specific events and events involving 'The Shores' as a whole.

• Creation of an annual event or events which involve all of the associated BIAs and branded as a 'The Shores' event.

• Creation of an event/information 'hub' (physical and digital) which will inform the public of associated events and act as 'Ground Zero' for all 'The Shores' activities. Suitable sites for consideration may be Amos Waites Park (Mimico Square) or Humber College associated street front locations (T.B.D).

Roadwork

• Lake Shore Boulevard West asphalt paving requires improvement and maintenance.• The improvement agenda to include unit paving banding at primary intersections,

TTC nodes and lakefront access corridors.• A short term strategy may include paint banding to denote nodes of significance while

also denoting primary pedestrian crossings adding to pedestrian safety and connecting north and south components of Lake Shore Boulevard West (Refer Parking and Streetscape).

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Green Space

• Creation of 'Green Nodes' at lakefront access corridors.• Reprogram Amos Waites Park to establish it as an event and information hub for both

Mimico by the Lake as well as 'The Shores' in general.

Storefronts & Facades

• Commission storefront/façade study to promote BIA unified revitalization of existing storefronts, to include available funding opportunities, design resources (Humber College) and revitalization precedents.

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BIA Specific Recommendations

Long Branch Village

Parking

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Option 1: (Reorganized angled parking)

• Commission a parking study. It was difficult to determine the existing number of angled parking spaces due to the lack of striping and numerous cub cuts along the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard West. A schematic mapping onto current planning maps found approximately 130 angled parking spaces. The angle of vehicular parking also seemed to vary from 35 degrees to 45 degrees.

• Reorganize and line existing angled parking to insure maximum number of spaces and efficiency which may involve reconfiguration of some curbing enhancing primary corner nodes.

• Reconfigure curbing to accommodate expanded corner nodes of significance.• Replace asphalt with unit paving in parking apron using rows of contrasting coloured

paving to identify spaces and access points from curb cuts to drives. This would visually diminish the perceived width of Lake Shore Boulevard West providing a better pedestrian scale to the streetscape while diminishing the existing massive expanse of asphalt and defining the boundary of the bike lane.

• A short term recommendation would be to paint the asphalt parking apron a contrasting colour or pattern with clearly defined parking spaces.

Option 2: (Parallel parking conversion)

• Replacement of angled parking with parallel parking to increase sidewalk width allowing; intensified streetscaping, i.e. reconfigured and intensified planting, relocated street trees in grates close to new curb, reorganized street furnishing, commercial opportunities (restaurant patios, sidewalk sales, events).

• Reconfigure curbing to accommodate expanded corner nodes of significance.• Replace asphalt with unit paving in parking apron using rows of contrasting coloured

paving to identify spaces and access points from curb cuts to drives. This would visually diminish the perceived width of Lake Shore Boulevard West providing a better pedestrian scale to the streetscape while diminishing the existing massive expanse of asphalt and defining the boundary of the bike lane.

• A short-term recommendation would be to paint the asphalt parking apron a contrasting colour or pattern with clearly defined parking spaces.

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North Side of Lake Shore Boulevard West• Replace asphalt with unit paving in parking apron using rows of contrasting coloured

paving to identify access points from curb cuts to drives. This would visually diminish the perceived width of Lake Shore Boulevard West providing a pedestrian scale to the streetscape.

• A short tem recommendation would be to paint the asphalt parking apron a contrasting colour or pattern with clearly defined parking spaces


• Maintain existing healthy street trees replacing those that are dead, dying and no longer viable.

• The existing strategy of using existing corner nodes as street amenity opportunities is a good one and should continue, however some should be reorganized and programmed especially at major intersections and lake front access corridors. A common language of street furniture should be established for all the BIAs in question, i.e., waste bins, planters, tree grills, decorative paving, etc. The above can be done in the short term.

• Replace asphalt with unit paving in parking apron (refer Parking).

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Signage

• Identify and brand primary BIA gateways along Lake Shore Boulevard West at Long Branch Avenue and Twenty Second Street to the east at associated corner nodes while also clearly identifying Long Branch Avenue and Twenty Second Street as lakefront access corridors.

• All signage/banners to be at a larger scale easily read by both fast paced vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

Lighting

• Provide both new large and existing small scale BIA branded light standards with the large scale ones at corner nodes of significance. The new larger scale light standards to denote 'The Shores' and be generic for all associated BIAs. The existing light standards and associated banners to remain Long Branch specific.

• Design larger scale lighting features at intersections of significance (lakefront access corridors) which will be the same for all BIAs promoting 'The Shores' to include larger banners also promoting 'The Shores'. Intermediate banners and lighting to remain Long Branch specific.



• Installation of companion information kiosks at lakefront end of access corridors as digital connection to Lake Shore Blvd West businesses and events.

• Refer 'Signage' for identification of lakefront access corridors.• Use of a common language of paving at intersections denoting lakefront access

corridors for all associated BIAs.

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Transit

• Transit islands to be reorganized (T.B.D). Transit shelters to establish a common 'Shores' specific language and to include decorative paving and public art.

Events

• Electronic information kiosks at corner nodes of significance to promote Long Branch specific events and events involving 'The Shores' as a whole.

• Creation of an annual event or events which involve all of the associated BIAs.• Creation of an event/information 'hub' (physical and digital) which will inform the public of

associated events and act as 'Ground Zero' for all 'Shores' activities. Suitable sites for consideration may be Amos Waites Park (Mimico Square) or Humber College associated street front locations (T.B.D).

Roadwork



also denoting primary pedestrian crossings adding to pedestrian safety and connecting north and south components of Lake Shore Boulevard West.

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Green Space

• Creation of 'Green Nodes' at lakefront access corridors.



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Lakeshore Village BIA

Parking

• Commission a parking study.• Replace asphalt with unit paving in parking apron using rows of contrasting coloured



• Reorganize curbing at corners to extend sidewalk apron and frame 'recessed' parallel parking creating corner nodes and opportunities for intensified streetscaping.

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• Remove existing green tree planters and replace with 'Shores' standard tree grates (T.B.D).

• The strategy of using existing corner nodes as street amenity opportunities is a good one and should occur at major intersections and lake front access corridors, i.e., 11th, 6th and 3rd Streets. A common language of street furniture should be established for all the BIAs in question, i.e., waste bins, planters, tree grills, decorative paving, etc. The above can be done in the short term.

• Replace asphalt with unit paving in parking apron (refer Parking). • Provide both new large and existing small scale BIA branded light standards with the

large scale ones at corner nodes of significance. The new larger scale light standards to denote 'The Shores' and be generic for all associated BIAs. The existing light standards and associated banners to remain Lakeshore Village specific.

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Signage

• Identify and brand primary BIA gateways along Lake Shore Boulevard West at Twelfth Street and Dwight Avenue to the east at associated corner nodes while also clearly identifying 11th, 6th and 3rd Streets as lakefront access corridors.


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Lighting

• Design larger scale lighting features at intersections of significance (lakefront access corridors) which will be the same for all BIAs promoting 'The Shores' to include larger banners also promoting 'The Shores'. Intermediate banners and lighting to remain Lakeshore Village specific.







Transit


Events




Roadwork




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Green Space

• Creation of 'Green Nodes' at lakefront access corridors.



27

Mimico by the Lake BIA

Parking





• Reconfigure massive curb cuts which service street related parking lots to denote entry and exit points with extended sidewalk apron between.

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• Maintain existing healthy street trees replacing those that are dead,dying and no longer viable.

• Remove existing raised curb tree surrounds and replace with 'Shores' standard tree grates (T.B.D).

• The strategy of using existing corner nodes as street amenity opportunities is a good one and should occur at major intersections and lake front access corridors, i.e., Superior Avenue and Amos Waites Park. A common language of street furniture should be established for all the BIAs in question, i.e., waste bins, planters, tree grills, decorative paving, etc. The above can be done in the short term.


large scale ones at corner nodes of significance. The new larger scale light standards to denote 'The Shores' and be generic for all associated BIAs. The existing light standards and associated banners to remain Mimico by the Lake specific.

29

Signage

• Identify and brand primary BIA gateways along Lake Shore Boulevard West at Allen Avenue and Alexander Street to the east at associated corner nodes while also clearly identifying Superior Avenue and Amos Waites Park as lakefront access corridors.


Lighting

• Design larger scale lighting features at intersections of significance (lakefront access corridors) which will be the same for all BIAs promoting 'The Shores' to include larger banners also promoting 'The Shores'. Intermediate banners and lighting to remain Mimico by the Lake specific.


30






Transit


Events




Roadwork




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Green Space

• Creation of 'Green Nodes' at lakefront access corridors.• Reprogram Amos Waites Park to establish it as an event and information hub for both

Mimico by the Lake as well as 'The Shores' in general.

Storefronts and Facades


32

Mimico Village BIA

Parking


paving to identify access points from curb cuts to drives. This would visually connect Mimico Village with the BIAs along Lake Shore Boulevard West by sharing a common language



• Reconfigure massive curb cuts which service street related parking lots to denote entry and exit points with extended sidewalk apron between

33



• Remove existing raised curb tree surrounds and replace with 'Shores' standard tree grates (T.B.D).

• The strategy of using existing corner nodes as street amenity opportunities is a good one and should occur at major intersection. A common language of street furniture should be established for all the BIAs in question, i.e., waste bins, planters, tree grills, decorative paving, etc. The above can be done in the short term.


large scale ones at the gateways to Mimico Village at Newcastle Street and Evans Avenue to the north. The new larger scale light standards to denote 'The Shores' and be generic for all associated BIAs. The intermediate light standards and associated banners to remain Mimico Village specific.

34

Signage

• Identify and brand primary Mimico Village BIA gateways (refer above).• All signage/banners to be at a larger scale easily read by both fast paced vehicular,

bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

Lighting

• Design larger scale lighting features at the gateways to Mimico Village at Newcastle Street and Evans Avenue to the north which will be the same for all BIAs promoting 'The Shores'.



• Provide electronic information kiosks at Newcastle Street and Evans Avenue to the north complete with security features, e.g. emergency call stations as digital connection to 'The Shores' businesses and events.

• Identification of Royal York Road as a lakefront access corridor.• Use of a common language of paving at intersections denoting lakefront access


35

Transit

• T.B.D.

Events

• Electronic information kiosks at corner nodes of significance to promote Mimico Village specific events and events involving 'The Shores' as a whole.



Roadwork

• Royal York Road asphalt paving requires improvement and maintenance.• The improvement agenda to include unit paving banding at primary intersections

and TTC nodes.

Green Space

• Creation of 'Green Nodes' at corner nodes

Storefronts and Facades


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Appendix A

Meeting Log

January 23Meeting with Councillor Grimes

February 6Meeting with working group

February 7 Team meeting

February 11Meeting with Angela Varone & Antonella Nicaso

May 15Meeting with Councillor Grimes, city transportation staff, city economic development staff

June 23-26Phone calls with working group members

July 11Meeting with working group

July 18Meeting with Councillor Grimes

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Appendix B

Summary of Survey Analysis

Mimico By The Lake BIA

• Perceived weaknesses of business area are crime (90%), graffiti (60%) and parking (40%)

• Perceived strengths are transit (80%), parks (70%), parking, sidewalks and flowers (30%)

• BIA awareness and offerings is strong, most retailers (40%) claimed awareness of TABIA and 70% claimed awareness of Promotional Events

• There is an 80% somewhat agreement that the BIA district is being marketed to it's fullest potential

• 90% of participants are using computer technology and are willing to receive emails• 100% of participants claimed 'word of mouth' to be how they reached customers and

60% claimed the web as the other source and 20% mentioned 'The Villages' as a source. 40% of this group used social media as a source of advertising

• There is a strong consensus (60%) that the name 'the Lakeshore' is not recognized as a destination

• There is a strong consensus that crime is a major factor which stifles economic development in this area i.e. attracting more retail tenants and more customers.

• More police presence is required.

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Long Branch Village BIA

• Perceived weaknesses of business area are crime (30%), parking (40%) and street signage, furniture, trees/flowers and heritage markers

• Perceived strengths are transit (60%), street lights (70%)• More BIA awareness and offerings is needed - 33% of retailers were

not aware of offerings• There is 40% somewhat agreement that the BIA district is being marketed

to it's fullest potential• 90% of participants are using computer technology and are willing to receive emails• 100% of participants claimed 'word of mouth' to be how they reached customers and

40% claimed individual websites as the other source and 15% mentioned 'The Guardian' as a source. 10% of this group used social media and the BIA website as a source of advertising


• There is a strong consensus that crime, BIA transparency/dissatisfaction, streetscape and parking are major factors which stifles economic development in this area ie. attracting more retail tenants and more customers.

39


• Perceived weaknesses of business area are crime (33%), parking (39%) street furniture, graffiti and transit

• Perceived strengths are transit (63%), street lights (45%), sidewalks (41%)• BIA awareness and offerings is not strong, most retailers (40%) were

not aware of offerings• There is 23% somewhat agreement that the BIA district is

being marketed to it's fullest potential• 90% of participants are using computer technology and 75% are willing to receive emails• 88% of participants claimed 'word of mouth' to be how they reached customers and 52%

claimed individual websites as the other source and 21% mentioned 'The Villager' as a source. There is a high instance of social media as a source of advertising


• There is a strong consensus that crime, BIA transparency/dissatisfaction, area reputation, lack of known retailers and parking that stifle economic development in this area ie. attracting more retail tenants and more customers.

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Mimico Village BIA

• Perceived weaknesses of business area are graffiti (crime) with mentions of improving parking, public gathering spaces, events and flowers

• Perceived strengths are free parking, sidewalks, transit, streetscape, tulip festival and the draw to San Remo Bakery

• BIA awareness and offerings is very strong, most retailers (60%) claimed awareness of Grants, Façade Improvements, Web Marketing, Events

• There is an 80% somewhat agreement that the BIA district is being marketed to it's fullest potential

• 90% of participants are using computer technology and are willing to receive emails• 70% of the customer base is perceived to be married/family or single which

predominantly walks or drives within 5-10km• 100% of participants claimed 'word of mouth' to be how they reached customers

and 60% claimed the web as the other source and 30% mentioned 'The Villages' as a source

• There is a strong consensus amongst the participants that the major draw to this area is the San Remo Bakery and the Festivals i.e.Tulip Festival

• There is a lack of Retail participation in the BIA• There is a strong consensus (80%) that the name 'the LakeShores' is

not recognized as a destination • There were no suggestions or comments offered

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Appendix CWard 6 BIA Working Group Members phone conversation notes

Mimico by the Lake BIA

David [email protected]

Office: 647-439-3294 or cell 416-879-0515

• Sidewalks are too narrow• Need better connections to lake• Expand the BIA to the lake• Storefront Humber killing the square • The square is dead space• The square/park is not well identified park, should be a recreational

hub with pool, washroom, storage• Tree lighting• Condo lawns fronts make the street less lively• Bicycle use is not marked and very difficult• Many new LRT issues relative to narrow street width and enlarged ROW

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mailto:[email protected]


Mimico by the Lake BIA (Continued)

Susan [email protected]

416 201 7093

• In their building the challenge is access• Remove the trees cement barriers• The Park/square has no link transition of street to water, could be

an amazing 'Hub Gateway' close to the water• More programming required• Drunks in the park, no man’s land• Too narrow width of sidewalks• Lots of garbage• Costs or rents and permitting of space within public areas can be

prohibitive to non-profits• Trying to set up street mural projects, work with youth in skate park• Area could use more public arts programming• Tree lighting• So much visual junk on street hard to see any street related sign age• The is no sign in park• The area needs a stronger brand.• Street separation by long distances means continuity of BIA’s is lost,• Signage strategy needed

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Mimico Village BIA

William Kassel [email protected]

416 251 1126

• Empty business, • Parking is the main issue • Two stores just being re done but no indication of what is going on

Robert Bozzo [email protected]

416 255 2808

• Area needs more pedestrian lights • Area needs more benches• The most critical issue for the BIA is parking

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Dallas Dyer [email protected]

Carol Ledden-Cusson [email protected]

416 503 9108

Alternate: Chris Korwin-Kuczynski (Former City Councillor)

416 845 5777

• Sidewalks cluttered, disjointed and chaotic• Parallel parking works well but reduces sidewalk widths• Less trees• Back alleys heavily used by cyclists• Increasing use of area by families• The whole area needs better branding and marketing• Laneways need lighting• Tree lighting• Better street furniture flower pots • Likes their pedestrian lighting do not change• Area needs better Identification• Bus shelters and garbage bins need to be updated

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Long Branch BIA

Dietmar Lein [email protected]

647 225 8556

• Don’t touch angled parking.

Jim McNeil [email protected]

Alternate: Carl Porritt [email protected] Royal Lepage

416 259 9639

• They lost a 40 car parking lot• Angle parking is necessary and should be kept it is safer that other

forms of parking and the stores do not have back lane access.• Sidewalk widths are fine for them• They have concentrated on lighting pedestrian and tree• More trees, where possible• BIA wants to keep its own identity, most use is local

and residents identifywith local BIA’s• Could be better nodes at intersections• There is a need for signage at the water front that direct people back to the businesses

at the street. Attempts of this have not been supported by TRCA or Waterfront Toronto.

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Documents

Etobicoke Lakeshore BIA Report 09 Sept 13