At the 2014 International Downtown Association conference, Kensington was awarded the Downtown Merit Award in recognition of the innovative funding opportunity that our Executive Director secured for streetscape improvements.
Through City budget monitoring and networking, Annie learned of an opportunity to make a proposal to Council to access a portion of excess parking revenue available for public realm projects. She created and presented the convincing proposal to Council and secured a large portion of the available fund for Kensington.
The financing was used for the rejuvenation of sidewalks, furniture, trees and lighting in Kensington at no cost to our members. Further efforts by our Executive Director added an additional $1.5M in value, in the form of $500,000+ in trees provided by City of Calgary Forestry and $1M in new traffic signals from Roads.
KENSINGTON BUSINESS REVITALIZATION ZONE (BRZ) named recipient of a 2014 Downtown Merit Award by the International Downtown Association for “Kensington BRZ Infrastructure Gamble”
For Immediate Release:
(Ottawa, ON Canada. [September 4, 2014])— During its 60th Anniversary Conference and Tradeshow, the International Downtown Association recognized Calgary’s Kensington BRZ with a Downtown Merit Award for its work and initiatives related to Kensington BRZ Infrastructure Gamble.
The project/program to replace the ageing public infrastructure in this business district was among 10 qualified entries in the category of Downtown Leadership and Management. This category features comprehensive and unique organizational approaches, projects, or programs that improved the effectiveness of downtown management organizations.
“The Kensington BRZ is delighted to receive this award. Thank you to Calgary’s City Council, City administration and Calgary Parking Authority for their vision of a more sustainable city, their commitment to support Calgary BRZs and this clear linkage between parking revenue and the repair of the public realm in a BRZ,” said Annie MacInnis, Executive Director of the Kensington BRZ said in the news release.
“The City of Calgary congratulates the Kensington BRZ on receiving the 2014 Downtown Merit Award. The improvements in the Kensington area will make the area a more pedestrian friendly shopping destination and support the intensification that is occurring,” said Chris Blaschuk, Manager, Transportation Strategy Division, on behalf of the City of Calgary.
“Kensington’s project received the IDA Merit Award for delivering excellence in downtown management”, said David Downey, IDA President and CEO. “Each year the IDA Awards Jury recognizes organizations that utilize best practices in our industry. The Kensington BRZ is a shining example of excellent downtown management delivering real value to the city.”
The Washington, D.C. based International Downtown Association (IDA) is a champion for vital and livable urban centers and strives to inform, influence, and inspire downtown leaders and advocates. With 500 members and thousands of friends, IDA is a guiding force in creating healthy and dynamic centers that anchor the well-being of towns, cities, and regions.
The Kensington BRZ is the advocacy and management organization representing the interests of business owners in the Kensington business district in Calgary, Alberta and is a member of the International Downtown Association.
International Downtown Association
The International Downtown Association is a world leader and champion for vital and livable urban centers. Through its network of diverse practitioners, its rich body of knowledge, and its unique capacity to nurture community-building partnerships, IDA provides tools, intelligence and strategies for creating healthy and dynamic centers that anchor the well-being of towns, cities and regions of the world. https://www.ida-downtown.org