It's truly remarkable how small businesses like restaurants, bakeries, markets, and entertainment venues, play a vital role in making our communities more vibrant, desirable, and safe. As a small business owner myself for over 15 years, I understand firsthand the challenges that fellow business owners and their employees experience every single day in the bustling heart of downtown. That's exactly why we've created this resource page – to lend a helping hand and provide valuable insights.
A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is made up of commercial and industrial property owners and their non-residential tenants who join together under a volunteer Board of Management (BIA Board) to carry out improvements and promote economic development within their designated area.
There are currently 83 BIAs in the City of Toronto. They work in partnership with the City to enhance and promote business areas as safe, vibrant places to do business, unique destinations for tourists and focal points for neighbourhood activity.
The financing of BIA operating budgets is raised by a special property tax levy on the commercial and industrial properties within the BIA boundary. The City funds a portion of capital projects undertaken by BIAs for streetscaping under the BIA Capital Cost-Sharing Program, an incentive program offered to the City’s BIAs that leverages investments from BIAs to improve, beautify, enhance and brand Toronto’s unique neighbourhoods. Find out about BIA Financial Incentive Programs offered by the City.
In Toronto Centre, we have 6 Business Improvement Areas (BIA's):
