Community Improvement Plan

Announcements

City-wide Community Improvement Plan for Office Employment

May 16, 2022, Statutory Public Meeting Information Report and Draft Community Improvement Plan, click here. Have comments, please forward them to Mirella.palermo@brampton.ca.

Downtown Brampton Building Improvement Program Guidelines

The City has launched new guidelines to support the ongoing revitalization of the historic downtown core by providing supporting grants to offset costs related to improvements. The report is found here.

The establishment of a Community Improvement Plan (CIP) aligns with the Term of Council Priorities as a “City of Opportunities” and is another step towards restarting the local economy and furthering Brampton’s competitive advantage. The Province of Ontario’s Planning Act allows local municipalities to designate an area as a Community Improvement Project Area offering financial and non-financial incentives to the private sector to create employment opportunities and amenities needed for a growing City.

Among the potential tools to be offered under the CIP, the initial incentive will be a Tax Increment Equivalent Grant (TIEG) aimed at attracting office employment including complementary uses such as research and lab space. The TIEG is a grant, or rebate, to offset a portion of the property tax increase the business owner will face.

Brampton’s CIP aims to attract additional employment in its key sectors: innovation and technology; entrepreneurship; health and life sciences; and advanced manufacturing. Current market conditions in Brampton support the continued investment in new construction in each of these areas.

Increasing investment in projects for quality office space also fosters an environment of “complete communities” where residents can live, work, and learn.

Staff Report (March 31, 2021) for City-wide Community Improvement Plan Program for Office Employment.

Central Area Community Improvement Plan

The Central Area Community Improvement Plan (CIP) was approved by Council in November 2007, came into force in January 2008 and was amended in June 2010. The CIP establishes a toolbox of programs designed to support specific planning objectives by aligning financial incentives with the identified planning goals.

Yearly update reports are provided giving a status on the CIP and its programs and new program development.

Individual incentive programs are established by way of approval of Implementation Guidelines and corresponding budget.

Facade Improvement Program

Application Window Open

Facade Improvement Program 2014 The aim of the Facade Improvement Program is to support the ongoing revitalization of the historic downtown core, by way of providing supporting grants to offset costs related to façade improvements undertaken by landowners and businesses. Improved building appearances enhance the overall attractiveness of the area for new business, for shoppers and for people wishing to live work and/or conduct business in the area.

The following are the program objectives:

To improve overall quality of building facades in the program area and support the ongoing revitalization efforts of the historic downtown area, by helping to create an attractive place for people to work, live, be entertained, shop and undertake business.
To improve the visual appearance of building facades along downtown laneways and public spaces and support long-term objectives towards activating laneway space in the historic core.
To support property owners in their efforts to upgrade their properties and improving the viability of the buildings for new quality businesses to locate in the downtown.
To support business owners in their efforts to improve their tenant space and storefronts, provide a high-quality appearance for their establishments and improve their attractiveness to potential customers.
To encourage and support the restoration and reinstatement of historic building facades within the program area.

Building Improvement Program

Application Window Open

The aim of the Building Improvement Program is to support the ongoing revitalization of the historic downtown core, by way of providing supporting grants to offset costs related to improvements to building systems and tenant space and encouraging reinvestment and improvements to buildings in the program area.

The following are the program objectives:

To improve overall the quality of commercial/mixed use building stock and space in the historic downtown core
To support property owners in their efforts to upgrade their properties and improving the viability of the buildings for new businesses to locate in the downtown core
To support business owners in their efforts to improve their tenant space
To encourage and support the ongoing active reuse of heritage buildings

Development Charges Incentive Program

The Development Charges Incentive Program seeks to support intensification and mixed use development in targeted areas within the Central Area, by providing relief from City Development Charges. The level of DC reduction is established by way of a scoring system. The higher the project scores against the set of criteria (location, preferred type of development, high quality physical environment, community benefit and sustainability) the greater the discount. The Implementation Guidelines for the DCIP were approved on November 28, 2007 and came into effect the day the CIP came into force. The guidelines set out the rules, eligibility criteria, process requirements, monitoring and other matters related to the governance of the program.

On December 8, 2021 Council approved an update to the DCIP Implementation Guidelines to phase out the application of the program for condominium residential developments, and re-orient the program to apply only to purpose-built rental apartment units within the eligible residential apartment or mixed-use developments. The strategic refocus to rental residential developments is intended to ensure that the limited annual funding from the DCIP Reserve is used to incent a higher number of rental apartment developments.

The Recommendation Report containing the updates to the Implementation Guidelines is found here.
The full DCIP Implementation Guidelines are found here.
A program guide is provided here.
An application form for the DCIP is available here.

Sign Permit Fee Subsidy Program

The Sign Permit Fee Subsidy Program (SFS) is implemented to support small business owners establishing commercial uses and those wishing to make aesthetic improvements to their businesses in the historic commercial core of the downtown and along Queen Street West and Main Street North. It also seeks to support a general improvement in the quality of signage in the program area. Under the program the permit fee for signs is subsidized for applicants within the program area, provided the signage conforms to the sign by-law and is satisfactory to the City from a design perspective. The rules for the program are found in the Implementation Guidelines.

The SFS Implementation Guidelines are available here.
The application form is available here.

Display of Wares Application

Application Window Open

Display of Wares Application

We would like to hear from you. Should you have any questions or comments, please contact:

cip@brampton.ca