20:55
Here's news for you. Statefarm (Dejardan) is already moving things to Quebec. One of my kids has already been "trimmed".
Regarding the lease signs that Watts has pointed out... The problem is the how the previous planning and councils of this town have allowed commercial development to go to Bayview and Leslie. Basically they killed downtown with the allowing of commercial development in those areas.
Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 24 June 2016 at 07:29
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No.....that's not accurate. Aurora's downtown started to fade when the first shopping centre was built in Richmond Hill. Dwindled a bit more when the Davis Drive Shopping Centre was built in Newmarket.
Larry Rubin who owned the IGA, built his first new supermarket in Newmarket.
Hillcrest Mall became the destination of choice and after that Upper Canada Mall came into being and presented still another option. After decades serving Aurora and surrounds, Ardill's moved from the south-east corner of Yonge and Wellington into the new mall in Newmarket.
When Norm Cook closed his men's wear store in mid-block, it was not replaced.
Old family businesses closed and new businesses opened and closed with dizzying frequency.
Practical reasons other than planning and Council decisions, hindered development in Aurora.
In development, we trailed behind Richmond Hill and Newmarket. Brought up the rear end, so-to-speak.
For fifty years,complaints and laments about what should and shouldn't be done in Aurora to revitalize the downtown core has become a chorus.
At the same time,candidates are elected who vow to maintain the small town environment
without understanding the limitations.
Aurora acquired a reputation for being "difficult" . It may have been deserved. I've seen developments elsewhere that wouldn't have been permitted in our town.
But the town is no longer " difficult ". It's well- nigh bloody impossible.
Yet chosen nineteenth in the top twenty five best places to live.
Judging by vacancies, including a hotel, obviously it's not the best place to do business.
Notwithstanding advice from the Chief Financial Officer that whatever the tax burden,residents can bear it because of their high level of education.
One thing we can't do , is move the heritage core away from Yonge Street.
It is a regional road and a provincial highway. Despite the 400 and 404, it carries traffic from town to town, through some of the most beautiful scenery in Ontario and there's not a thing we can do about that.
Newmarket's heritage downtown is not on Yonge Street but they have had ups and downs. The town has invested heavily over and over .
Nobody knows how well a business is doing until they close their doors.
All a town can do to support local business is get out of their way. Let them do what they know best and the town do the same.
We are not doing a good job of that and haven't for some time.
We don't even know enough to get out of our own way most of the time.
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4 comments:
They've done nothing but get in the way. Heck, they've decided to compete with some businesses in this Town. Businesses have 4 different levels of government to deal with along with all their departments and ministries, let alone all those "arms length" legislated groups. Small businesses are continuously blindsided with road blocks from all of these people on a daily bases. Leaving is the only option for some businesses.
The downtown core is doomed because of the narrow Yonge/ Wellington intersection. The same thing occurs in Bradford at their Four Corners. It is what it is. The town has to learn to work around it, They are not doing a good job.
It is NOT a regional road.
We have been fooled about that info.
I believe, from the railway bridge to Wellington St.is fully Aurora.
Look into it.
So Evelyn you disagree that the current development in the east of Aurora is not having an impact on the downtown core?
Don't get me wrong, the downtown core is great if you need to visit a bank, a doctor or a lawyer. But if you want to buy anything, there is little opportunity. If you live west of Yonge street, you are more apt to drive to Newmarket or Richmond Hill versus the east side of Aurora.
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