It was actually kind of anticlimactic, says Randy Atkinson, of council’s decision to renew the Davie Village Business Improvement Association (BIA), Feb 3.
The whole thing happened very quickly, Atkinson continues. No one got up to oppose the BIA’s renewal, council didn’t have any questions-everyone simply approved it. And now “I’m happy to report that we’re a go for another five years,” the BIA president says.
Atkinson and his fellow BIA directors had some stress in the weeks leading up to the renewal meeting after a form letter circulated through the Davie Village urging business and property owners to oppose the its renewal.
But in the end, the opposition never really materialized. City staff only received nine letters from business and property owners opposing the BIA’s renewal, which represented about six percent of the BIA’s membership-nowhere near the 33 percent required to dissolve the association. Seven of the letters came from BIA businesses in the 1200-block of Davie St. Xtra West still doesn’t know who initiated the letter campaign, nor who signed on, since city staff are reluctant to name names. But the paper has filed an access-to-information request and will publish the names as soon as they’re made available.
In the meantime, Atkinson says he’s happy to get back to the business of sprucing up the Village. Projects already in the works include the on-going beautification of the Village and the possible addition of lights to its trees; promoting the Village as a gay destination to queers all over the world; and working with other agencies to address the area’s complex safety and security concerns.
The BIA has a lot of potential right now, Atkinson says. It can help develop the Davie Village into a world-class gay tourist destination while maintaining its small-town feel. But “we can’t do it alone,” he cautions, urging the community to get involved.
DAVIE VILLAGE BIA.
604.696.0144.
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