The DDC has a need for creative services for the Downtown St. John's initiative. To serve this need we are looking for creative services firms that will develop graphic design, website design, and branding.

The mandate of the DDC is to make the Downtown a more atractive place to live work, shop, and visit while preserving and enhancing the Downtown as the dominant commercial center of St. John's. We strive to recognize the important balance between office, retail and commercial sectors and work to preserve the historic and traditional character of the Downtown.

The DDC is governed by a Board of Management composed of Downtown business owners, and strives to improve the physical appearance and encourage business development within the area.

Anyone interested in putting forth a proposal can get more information by contacting the DDC office at 726-8244 or by emailing gaylynne@downtownstjohns.com.

Deadline for proposals is March 31st at 4:30 pm. Proposals can be dropped off at the DDC office located at 155 Water Street, Suite 202.

Fortis Properties today withdrew its application for the redevelopment of its Water Street site and construction of a new building. The development application was submitted to the City of St. John’s on January 19, 2010.

“We do not believe there is sufficient support at Council for this application,” said Nora Duke, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fortis Properties. “As such, we have determined it is in the best interest of our Company to withdraw. We will refocus our efforts on the retrofit of our existing Fortis Building.”

For more information please contact Gail Tucker, Manager, Corporate Communications Fortis Properties Corporation at 737.2927

Downtown Parking Study Recommendations

1.Increase Off-Street Parking Supply

•Investigate/encourage off-street parking as interim land use.
Develop vacant lots on a temporary basis to be used as long-term parking lots for employees. Reduce the current development standard for surface level off-street parking for lots being used on an interim basis.

•Encourage joint development of structured off-street parking.
City work with developers to include more off-street parking within new developments such as the Woolworth’s Site proposed development to include 4 additional levels of parking for public use.

•Plan for City development of off-street parking structure.
City purchase land and begin plans for public off-street parking structure funded by a Parking Reserve Fund.

2.Establish Park & Ride Service with Metrobus and Extend Transit Service Routes
Work with Metrobus on the development and implementation of a Park and Ride service to allow employees working in the Downtown access to an improved transit service and an option for travel to work. Increase the transit service to more areas of the City and region.

3.Initiate New Financial Tools
• Initiate Cash In Lieu Program (CILP)
New developments in the Downtown that can’t meet parking requirements on site pay into a CILP to assist in the shortage of off-street parking. The monies collected from CILP go immediately to purchase of land and construction of public parking facility. Further analysis would be required to determine the appropriate amount of the CILP.

•Initiate Parking Cash Out Option for City Hall Employees
City Hall employees currently park for free at the City Hall Parking Garage. Employees would be given a choice to begin paying for parking or exchange their parking permit for a transit pass. Any new permits would be added to the City’s public permit parking inventory.

• Improve Parking Enforcement
Parking Enforcement ensure parking rules and regulations enforced such as the enforcement of the maximum time on meters, loading zone usage, bus stops, etc.

4.Update Parking Pricing

• Increase City Permit Cost and Meter Parking Cost in Prime Areas
Reduce the amount of time purchased in a meter for $1.00 from one hour to 48 minutes from the current 60 minutes. This results in a cost of 25 cents per every twelve minutes. $1.25 for 60 minutes.
The revenues generated from increases in city permit costs and parking meter costs be directed towards increasing off-street parking supply and improving equipment. A parking reserve fund be implemented.

•Infraction costs and increase selected fines.
Increase of fines from $15.00 to $25.00 subject to the increase coinciding with the implementation of automatic ticket writer equipment which provides an incentive for a cost reduction in fine payment if paid early. All additional monies generated from fine increases, meter costs, etc. for meters situated in the Downtown be placed in a Parking Reserve Fund to be used to increase the public off-street parking supply.

•Update ticketing equipment and payment methods
The DDC has requested that new equipment (i.e. electronic ticket writers) be purchased from increased revenues from city permit costs, meter rates and fines and provide more efficient and cost-savings payment methods. For example, fine payment on-line with reduced fine amount if paid before set date (elimination of provincial ticket processing service charge).

5.Revised Planning Policies

•Replace Parking Exempt Area with Cash In Lieu of Parking (CILP)
Certain exemptions should be made for infill replacement, renovations and heritage designated buildings. Specifically, building owners who are renovating or repairing an existing building or reconstructing a burned out building and not changing the footprint or FAR of that building should not be charged under the CILP program. The City needs to encourage investment in the existing buildings for adaptive reuse and to protect the built heritage that already exists. The CILP program is to facilitate new development and long-term parking allocation. .
The new provisions in the regulations to ensure situations where, for example, a building in the downtown burns down and is replaced with the same footprint that they would not be subject to the CILP and would remain parking exempt. The same would apply to heritage buildings or other buildings in the downtown that are renovated with no changes in floor area. The regulations will have to be worded to ensure these properties would not be subject to the CILP.

•Expand Downtown Building Control provisions with FAR 3+ and 4 storey + opportunities.
The provisions would enable flexibility to incorporate in-house parking in those areas where the water table does not facilitate underground parking. It would not result in additional storeys being permitted over and above that accommodated for parking levels. Each application would also have to be considered on its individual merits. The proposed revision is not meant to be a blanket regulation, but rather giving council the flexibility to permit such where it feels appropriate. The new policy to allow developers the option, where appropriate, to go beyond the current height restrictions; where doing so would allow the developer to provide an additional level of parking. As noted in the Downtown Parking Study report, “Additional height above the existing 4 storey limit may be approved by the City as a bonus for the provision of required on-site parking as determined by the City, subject to the protection and preservation of heritage features and prominent views in the Downtown.”

•Remove Parking Relief, Parking Exempt Area from Development Regulations and reduce interim off-street parking lot design requirements
Parking Relief, Parking Exempt be removed from New Development. Renovations to heritage designated buildings, replacement or rebuilding of existing buildings (fire loss) remain exempt – same rational as CILP recommendation.

•New Parking Requirement for the Downtown Area.
The removal of the parking exempt policy creates the need to establish a new parking requirement for the downtown area. The need to have a different parking requirement for the Downtown core area reflects the realities associated with the cost of parking, higher densities, and a higher use of transit.

The IBI Group provided the City with a survey of the parking requirements of other major Cities for their Downtown cores from across Canada. Based on this survey the IBI Group suggested that we be within a minimum and maximum range for suggested parking ratios. Staff has recommended that the City should go with a requirement of 1 parking space per 75m2 of gross floor area for both General Office and Retail Space. The DDC recommends 1 parking space per 90 m2 of gross floor area.

The complete Parking Study Report can be viewed on line here:
www.stjohns.ca/cityservices/traffic/parkingstudy.jsp

EARTH HOUR 2010
Brought to you by WWF.

On March 27 at 8:30 p.m., the world will turn off its lights for just one hour – Earth Hour – to show it is possible to take action on climate change and demonstrate that our individual action adds up to make a big difference.
Switching off your lights is just one simple action that you can take to help and it sends a powerful message that we care about our planet.

Last year, Earth Hour was a huge success reaching over one billion people in more than 80 countries. In Canada, over 10 million Canadians and thousands of businesses participated in more than 275 cities across the country.

This year, WWF wants even more people to participate but we need your help to make it happen. It is important people understand that we each have an important role to play in the fight against climate change. Our everyday
actions, like turning off unnecessary lights, add up to make a big difference. Individual action is also important because it sends a strong signal to businesses and government that Canadians want action on climate change.

How your business can get involved:
1. Sign-up your business for Earth Hour at www.EarthHourCanada.org
2. Encourage your employees and customers to participate in Earth Hour by turning off all nonessential lighting on March 27 at 8:30 p.m. for one hour. Utilize internal and external communication channels to help encourage as much participation as possible (e.g. posters, advertising, intranet, etc.)
3. Educate your employees on the threat of climate change and show leadership by putting in place good environmental practices. For example – double sided printing, using energy efficient lighting and equipment, etc… Also encourage employees to make similar changes at home.

You can organize an event as well!

There are several documents created to help your business/ community communicate the Earth Hour message. These documents are all available on the Earth Hour website in the download section at www.EarthHourCanada.org.

Sign up, participate and engage your community in celebrating your sustainability efforts!

The City of St. John’s will be celebrating Tourism Awareness Week 2010 by honouring the very best in the tourism business at its 19th Annual Tourism Awards Ceremony in June.

Nominations are now being accepted for the following annual awards:

Legend Award
This award is presented to the individual or group who has made significant contributions to the enhancement of the tourism industry in St. John’s.

Event of the Year Award
This award is presented to the group or organization who, through the production of an event, best exemplifies the spirit of St. John’s and generates tourism visitation for the St. John’s region.

Signal Award
This award is presented to the individual, group or company who has made a significant contribution to the evolution and sustainability of the cruise ship industry in St. John’s.

Victoria Wagon Award
This award is presented to a taxi driver who best exemplifies the spirit of exceptional customer service.

Destination St. John’s Award of Distinction
This award is presented by Destination St. John’s to a Conference Chair who, through the hosting of a conference in St. John’s, has generated significant economic benefits and increased the profile of St. John’s.

Nomination forms must be received before 4:30 pm, Wednesday, April 14th, 2010. To obtain a nomination form and/or additional criteria for these awards, please see News Releases at www.stjohns.ca or contact:

City of St. John’s
Dept. of Economic Development, Tourism & Culture
348 Water Street
P.O. Box 908
St. John’s, NL AlC 5M2
Tel: (709) 576-8455
Fax: (709) 576-8246