Bradford is opening the public purse to help revitalize two downtown buildings, but not without some resistance.
Council approved two applications for downtown community improvement plan (DCIP) funds as part of the regular meeting of council Tuesday night.
According to a report prepared by Michael Kemp, marketing co-ordinator for the town, the tenant of 37 Holland St. W., Dr. Amir Zeinaly, is asking the town for a total of $28,401.68 to help cover the $55,520 cost to renovate the building and convert it into a medical practice with six new exam rooms, a built-in reception area and a consulting room.
The two-storey building on the north side of the street is currently zoned for core commercial and has residential space on the upper floor and commercial space on the ground floor, according to the report.
For many years, the building was the Mar Alto fish market, before being used as a learning academy, and is currently occupied by a tax preparation office, according to the report.
Zeinaly applied for $25,000 under Program 2: Building Interior Grant Program to help cover the $44,670 costs of interior upgrades including:
- $12,640 for framing, plastering and drywall;
- $9,280 for new, level flooring;
- $8,750 for ceiling, baseboard and bathrooms;
- $8,000 for reception area and consulting room;
- $6,000 for the upgraded and expanded electrical system
Zeinaly also applied for $1,825 under Program 6: Accessibility Enhancement Grant to cover 50 per cent of the $3,650 cost to raise and level the floor throughout and improve accessibility.
Lastly, Zeinlay also applied for $1,576.68 under Program 3: Fees and Permits Grant Program Eligibility to help cover 75 per cent of the $2,102.24 cost of building permits.
This is the second DCIP application submitted by Zeinaly, who successfully applied for $54,125 in grant funding in August 2021 for 80 Holland St. E., according tot he report.
Renovations were completed mid 2022, but the report notes that due to a landlord/tenant dispute, Zeinaly is moving his practice.
Ward 7 Coun. Peter Dykie praised the program for offering funding specifically for accessibility.
“I’d sure like in the future to see more grants like this, because we have a lot of older buildings in the downtown core ... It sure makes a difference for the public to have this ... I want to see more people take advantage of it,” he said.
Kemp thanked council for suggesting a stronger emphasis on accessibility during development of the current version of the DCIP program in 2022.
He explained this was the first application to be submitted for accessibility funding under the current program and that it resulted in robust discussion among members of the DCIP evaluation committee.
“There were two separate units that were being combined into one in this location and the floor at the back of the building is below grade,” he said, explaining that people currently need to go up and down stairs to navigate from the front of the building to the back, which is not practical for a doctor’s office.
Kemp related to council that he had discussed with the Accessibility Advisory Committee, what level of upgrade should trigger the funding and the committee was “very bullish” on the program and accessibility upgrades because even if the building isn’t made fully accessible, it’s still an improvement.
Ward 1 Coun. Cheraldean Duhaney took note of the previous loan approved for Zeinaly, and asked if there is a limit to how many times a person can apply for DCIP funding.
Kemp explained funding is tied specifically to the building, meaning that if someone owned or was a tenant in multiple buildings, they could make multiple applications.
Ward 5 Coun. Peter Ferragine reiterated his standing concerns over the DCIP program and the criteria under which funding is provided.
“Program number 2, it states right in it ‘particularly when such upgrades include the Building or Fire Code improvements or compliance,’ yet when I see the renovation quote, you’re talking framing, drywall, plaster, vinyl flooring, ceiling, baseboards, bathrooms — I mean this is just the cost of doing business. Any business not located in the downtown core would have to pay for these improvements,” he said.
While Ferragine expressed his support for funding improvements to accessibility and upgrading aging HVAC and electrical systems in the town’s historic downtown buildings, he felt Zeinlay’s application under Program 2 went too far and worried the next tenant might just pull out or replace some of the work.
“The CIP when it was originally brought forward was to help upgrade these buildings, make our downtown core a better place where the buildings were brought up to code ... but what I’m seeing here is more a taking advantage of this program and I’m not in favour of this application,” he said.
Kemp clarified there is a finite amount of grant funding available for each building, and subsequent tenants would not be eligible to apply for the same grant to replace work previously funded through the DCIP.
Ferragine wanted to know when the program was scheduled for review and Kemp explained that happens about every 2.5 years, meaning council should expect to take a look at the program in 2024 or 2025 depending on council’s schedule.
Ward 4 Coun. Joseph Giordano wanted to know if it could be reviewed sooner through the budget process.
He expressed concerns that subsequent owners or tenants might pull out or remove any grant-funded work which isn’t structural or integral to the building — even without further grant funding.
“If we could do it at budget time to add some stipulations or tweak it slightly, I think that would have a lot more value for the people who are actually applying to transform their space or modernize it as opposed to just renovating it,” he said.
The mayor clarified the budget process would only be an opportunity to change the amount of funding supplied to the program, not the criteria for applications, and Kemp added the grants come with a five-year term, during which applicants are required to maintain any of the funded improvements.
Giordano suggested that if a tenant or owner leaves the building for whatever reason before the end of that term, the new occupant wouldn’t be held to the agreement.
“Typically they would probably maintain it, because it’s an upgrade that they would want to keep, in our experience,” Kemp said.
Ferragine moved an amendment to remove the Program 2 funding from the application, which was seconded by Duhaney and both of them were joined by Giordano in voting in favour of the amendment, but it was defeated as the rest of council voted against it.
The original application passed with support from all but the three who supported the amendment.
According to a second report prepared by Kemp, the tenant of the basement unit at 160 Holland St. W., Jason Phinney, is asking the town for a total of $29,739.87 to help cover the $95,877.13 cost to convert the space into a taekwondo studio with a number of separate rooms and two bathrooms through renovations including a new foundation, plumbing, electrical, lighting, fire suppression, venting, HVAC, flooring, drywall and ceiling.
The one-storey building on the south side of the street is currently zoned for core commercial and was once home to an LCBO outlet and the Mini Masters Montessori School before Bradford Sports Medicine Professionals purchased the building and renovated part of the basement and the entire main floor, of which a portion is leased to Holland Haus.
Phinney applied for $25,000.00 under Program 2: Building Interior Grant Program to help cover the $90,287.13. cost of interior upgrades including:
- $25,440.96 for new duct work, heating and cooling;
- $13,247.96 for concrete works and plumbing;
- $14,963 for creation of new rooms, framing and drywall;
- $12,508.39 for electrical;
- $12,126.82 for fireproofing and insulation;
- $12,000 for flooring
Phinney also applied for $1,250 under Program 1: Building Exterior Grant Program to help cover the $2,500 cost for pylon signage.
Phinney also applied for 1,545.00 under Program 6: Accessibility Enhancement Grant Program to help cover 50 per cent of the $3,090 cost to install accessibility elements of an ambulatory washroom.
Lastly, Phinney applied for $1,944.87 under Program 3: Fees and Permits Grant Program to help cover 75 per cent of the $2,593.16 cost for building permits.
Unlike the first application Ferragine felt the work for which funds were being requested was better merited.
“When I worked out the numbers in Program 2 they had a lot to do with HVAC, electrical, major things that are part of the building itself, and when I add up those totals, then regardless they hit the max they’re allowed to request,” he said.
Council approved the application.
As of Sept. 7, the town had spent $132,683.36 worth of community improvement funds in 2023, and after funding these two applications, the town should have $275,499.29 CIP funds remaining for the year, according to the staff report.
