City council approved The Downtown Business Association's request to maintain a zero per cent increase in the Business Improvement Area (BIA) tax for 2022. (rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Alessia Proietti

Downtown Business Association foot traffic plans

Zero per cent increase in 2022 levy for downtown businesses

Dec 7, 2021 | 12:02 PM

The Downtown’s Business Association’s (DBA) 2022 Budget has been approved by Red Deer city council at their final meeting of the year on Monday.

With the aim of reducing the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on downtown businesses, the DBA requested to keep the same Business Improvement Area (BIA) tax from 2020, for the second year in a row.

“We’re very intent on maintaining a zero per cent increase for our businesses right now and that has taken priority,” said Amanda Gould, Executive Director of the DBA.

With the levy maintained at $195.25, a total of $252,000 is set to be accumulated by the BIA for the association.

The DBA also requested council to authorize a transfer of $28,141 from the reserve funds to support this year’s downtown costs. Approximately $140,000 would be left in the reserve fund following this transfer, with $20,000 of that amount allocated for vehicle costs.

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To encourage foot traffic in the downtown area, various winter activities are currently underway for the season.

This Thursday, Dec. 9, the Late Night Shopping event will take place where a list of local businesses in the downtown core will remain open until 8 p.m. or later. Most will have special offers, and be serving hot drinks and holiday treats. Participating stores will also have a ballot box for shoppers where they can enter to win a pair of tickets to the 2022 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships held in Edmonton and Red Deer.

Red Deer’s Christmas Carolers will be making their debut that same night, filling the stores and streets of downtown with Christmas cheer. With a performance at 3:30 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m., they will return on Dec. 16 and 23.

The annual Christmas Pickle contest will continue to run until Dec. 22. While the tradition is to find a pickle hung in a Christmas tree to win a prize, Downtown Red Deer’s North Pole Stroll entails pickles hidden in participating stores. Customers who find a pickle can win prizes like discounts or raffle entries.

Finally, The Ross Street Patio is already in transition for its winter setup, laying out patio furniture, Christmas decor and a stage area for live performances. More details will be updated on the City’s website at https://downtownreddeer.com/ross-street-patio/.