“The DTCIP has been a very successful program to date and we see an opportunity to work with the development community to further spur the revitalization of the City’s core with our new Tier 3 program,” said Mayor Steve Clarke. “The creation of new jobs and housing in downtown Orillia is not only good for the core, but also critical for building a vibrant community and healthy economy for the whole city. We encourage anyone interested in the program to register now to attend the workshop on May 10 to learn more.”

The DTCIP, now in its sixth year, encourages growth in the core of the city by providing grants designed to stimulate development, which include façade improvements, signage, feasibility studies, building improvements and the creation of residential units with $200,000 in grant funding available. New for 2022 is a suite of Tier 3 incentive programs geared towards larger projects that would add jobs and housing to downtown Orillia. The Tier 3 programs include a Development Charge Grant Program, a Tax Increment Grant Program and a Brownfields Tax Assistance Grant Program with more than $700,000 in DTCIP funding available.

The first of two application deadlines for 2022 is May 25, 2022 for Tier 1 and Tier 2 grant programs only. The second and final application deadline for the year is Aug. 10, 2022 for all grant programs in Tiers 1, 2 and 3. Before applying, applicants must take part in a mandatory pre-consultation with City staff, which can be accomplished at the virtual community workshop taking place May 10, 2022, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Applicants attending this workshop will learn more about the DTCIP programs, intake dates, and funding amounts, as well as the evaluation process and scoring criteria.

Registration for the workshop is open until May 9, 2022 at orillia.ca/downtownCIP.

“With more than 100 acres of brownfield in the City’s core, the new Tier 3 DTCIP grant programs have the potential to stimulate new projects in the CIP project area,” said Laura Thompson, Senior Manager of Business Development. “The new DTCIP grant programs are geared towards those large properties in downtown Orillia that, if developed, could make a significant contribution to our housing and employment needs.”

Since the DTCIP program’s inception, staff have approved 44 applications and granted more than $1.1 million to local businesses to stimulate private investment and revitalize the downtown core. To date, the creation of 99 jobs has been supported through the program. Innovative residential development is also taking place through the program, with funding approved for 76 new residential units.

For more information on the DTCIP Grant Program, contact the City of Orillia Business Development Division at 705-325-4900, or visit orillia.ca/downtowncip.

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“Access to good jobs and housing in the City’s core is not only critical to attracting new investment to the community, but it also benefits our existing community and allows residents to pursue local careers,” said Mayor Steve Clarke. “The launch of these new programs will help mobilize larger projects in Downtown Orillia so they can happen sooner and in areas where our City needs them most. This has the potential to add a significant number of jobs and housing options to the core of our City.”

The recently approved programs include a Development Charge Grant Program, a Tax Increment Grant Program and a Brownfields Tax Assistance Grant Program. The programs are only available in the Community Improvement Plan project area (the City’s downtown core). To qualify for the programs, applicants must demonstrate that they’re meeting the high standards set through the DTCIP evaluation criteria, such as the amount of private funds invested, and the amount of jobs and housing created. Two of these programs, the Development Charge Program and Tax Increment Grant Program, previously had pilot projects approved in 2019, including a Tax Increment Grant for McLean & Dickey’s redevelopment of 4 King St.

Council approved the DTCIP in 2016 and launched the first five of the eight grant programs shortly after in 2017. The first five programs focused on small-to-medium sized projects that would help revitalize the community. Several notable projects have taken place in the first five years of the program, including the redevelopment of 27 Mississaga St. W. to accommodate The Common Stove restaurant and residential units; the redevelopment of 23 Mississaga St. W. to Creative Nomad Studios, a coworking space for artists and entrepreneurs; and the expansion of Apple Annie’s Café at 101 Mississaga St. E. to include an expanded retail space, rear entrance and façade.

Through the Downtown Tomorrow Grant Program so far, the City has helped facilitate the creation of 99 jobs, the retention of another 128 jobs, the development of housing units to accommodate 72 new residents, and the establishment of 15 new businesses.

“When we attend GTA-based trade shows our Downtown Tomorrow CIP Grant Program is the number one reason investors stop to ask us more about opportunities in the Orillia area,” said Laura Thompson, Senior Manager of Business Development. “The program has helped us gain recognition outside the community, which is especially important in ensuring we’re attracting developers who are experienced in brownfield redevelopment as this can be complex but transformative.”

Council allocated a total of $900,000 to the 2022 DTCIP Grant Program from the Community Improvement Plan reserve.

The new suite of programs is expected to be launched within the next six-to-eight weeks and staff have an ambitious communications and marketing plan to promote them to both existing property owners and investors throughout the province.

For more information on the DTCIP Grant Program, contact the City of Orillia Business Development Division at 705-325-4900, or visit orillia.ca/downtowncip.

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