Samwell to lead city efforts to improve downtown

Coun. Mandy Samwell has taken on a new role that comes with a title.

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The Ward 5 councilor has been named ‘downtown revitalization champion’ as the city embarks on the next step towards improving its core.

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“I’m really excited to be taking on this role,” Samwell said during an interview in Victoria Park. “I’ll be working really closely with the staff team and engaging with citizens and I’m looking forward to being part of this initiative.

Samwell said a lot of things to improve the downtown are already underway.

“What I’d like to see is initiatives, programs, things that bring more people to the downtown,” Samwell said. “We’re looking for ways to get people downtown and have them stay here and enjoy themselves.”

Samwell said work is about to begin on the detailed, design phase of streetscaping for downtown, which will include community engagement.

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City council in September approved a new downtown face and safety improvement grant program.

The program will provide grants of up to $15,000 or half of the total eligible cost of an improvement to a building that enhances safety in the area. Eligible projects could include building facade improvements, enhanced lighting, defined bike storage areas that are visible and the use of shatter-proof glass to deter theft, and commissioned murals to deter graffiti.

“This is an exciting program because we haven’t had a grant program like that incorporates those elements,” Samwell said. “It should help with the security and safety of the downtown.

The camera systems that have been put in the downtown and in the parking garage along with the addition of special constables have helped the downtown. Efforts to help people living in encampments find better and more stable housing have also been beneficial, Samwell said.

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“I think that since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic there have been a lot of improvements in the downtown,” Samwell said. “But obviously, there is still a lot of work to do.

“But I think getting more people into the downtown is an important part of making it better.”

The arrival of the Brantford Bulldogs OHL team is helping the downtown including local restaurants, Samwell said.

City council, at its Oct. 24 meeting, approved the Downtown Brantford Priority Plan: 2023 update. The priority plan was originally approved in April 2022 and focused on three areas – safety and security, inclusion and support and growth and vibrancy.

The successful launch of the Bulldogs, a partnership with Wilfrid Laurier University to co-fund a downtown cultural hub and the launch of the Laurier Hub for Community solutions are among the goals met by the initiative.

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The city has also taken steps to improve its response to encampments to ensure safety and support for residents.

“I’m pleased to see council’s approval of the Downtown Brantford Priority Plan: 2023 Update, which marks a significant step towards our vision of a more vibrant, inclusive, and secure downtown,” Barb Sutherland, chair of the Downtown Brantford BIA, said in a statement released by the city. “With a focus on social supports, economic development, programming, and safety and security, together, we are closer to our goal of transforming our downtown achieving into a thriving city center.”

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