Downtown Hamilton is entering a transformational era — and your voice matters.
With historic investments pouring into the downtown — including the 300M TD Coliseum, upgrades to the Concert Hall and Convention Centre, and increased trips to and from the West Harbour GO Station — this area is on the cusp of something that will positively transform the quality of life for all.
A new Business Improvement Area (BIA) will:
- Unite local businesses around shared priorities
- Enhance safety, cleanliness, and overall vibrancy
- Amplify your voice with City leadership and key decision-makers
- Support strategic marketing, events, and placemaking initiatives
This initiative will be advanced in collaboration with the Downtown Hamilton and International Village BIAs, not as a replacement, but as a complementary effort tailored specifically to the unique needs of our business and cultural core.
Where is the proposed Hamilton Entertainment District BIA?
The proposed BIA is centred around Hamilton’s cultural and entertainment core — an area positioned at the intersection of arts, events, dining, transit, and investment.
This area encompasses:
- TD Coliseum
- Concert Hall
- Hamilton Convention Centre
- Jackson Square
- West Harbour Go
- James St N business district
This area has been carefully selected to capture the epicentre of Hamilton’s employment, entertainment and cultural activity — and to ensure that businesses within this district benefit from increased visibility, marketing, and advocacy.
Why this area needs a BIA
The area is full of potential — let’s give it the voice and vision it deserves.
“BIAs work to attract new businesses, organize events, and invest in beautification projects. They provide additional maintenance and security services and advocate for local businesses to municipal governments.”
Invest in Hamilton
What is a BIA?
A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is a group of local businesses and property owners who come together to improve and promote their neighbourhood.
BIAs are funded through a small levy collected from commercial property owners within the designated area. These funds are then reinvested directly back into the neighbourhood, managed by a volunteer board of local business and property owners.
What this BIA would do for the area
With a board of local representatives and a shared budget, the Hamilton Entertainment District BIA would:
Events & activations
Create and support local events, street-level activations, and cultural programming that drive engagement and bring the district to life.
Marketing & promotion
Coordinate unified marketing and branding efforts to raise awareness, attract customers, and highlight what makes the district unique.
Business advocacy
Represent the interests of local businesses and property owners at City Hall — helping ensure the district’s needs and priorities are heard and addressed.
Clean & welcoming area
Enhance the public realm with cleanliness and lighting to ensure the district is safe, accessible, and visually appealing.
Safety & foot traffic
Support strategies and initiatives that increase walkability, visibility, and safety throughout the area — encouraging people to stay longer and return often.
Wayfinding
Improve navigation with signage, maps, and information hubs to help the thousands of daily visitors explore and connect with local businesses.
How this BIA will happen
Creating a BIA follows a formal process through the City of Hamilton — and right now, we’re at the most important stage: gathering community support.
Want to help?
If you're a property owner or business operator in the proposed boundary, your input is essential.
Gather community support
This is where we work together. Your insight and support as a local property and/or business owner will help shape what comes next.
Submit an application to the City of Hamilton
Once enough support is gathered, a formal application is submitted to begin the review and notification process.
Hold a vote
Both commercial property owners and business tenants within the boundary vote to approve or reject the creation of the BIA.
Launch the BIA
If the vote passes, the BIA is officially launched, and the board can begin implementing initiatives to strengthen the district.
Help shape the future of the Hamilton Entertainment District
Share your feedback to help explore the creation of a Business Improvement Area (BIA) in our neighbourhood.
Questions?! Look here.
We’ve gathered answers to some of the most common questions about the proposed BIA.
- A minimum of 2/3 majority is required to move forward — including one vote per commercial property owner and one per business tenant within the proposed boundary.
- Even if a property does not vote in favour, there is no opt-out — BIAs apply to all commercial properties within the boundary.
- The BIA levy is paid by the property owner and appears as a line item on their commercial tax bill.
- The levy amount is determined by the BIA board and is proportionally distributed across commercial and industrial properties based on their assessed value and size.
- 100% of the funds stay within the district, to support improvements and programming.
- The BIA board creates an annual budget that is presented to members and submitted to City Council for approval.
- Each BIA is audited annually by the city auditor (currently KPMG), ensuring the budget is followed and funds are managed responsibly.
While the proposed BIA is not officially part of The Commons, our team at The Commons is proud to be leading this initiative in partnership with local businesses and property owners.
As a community builder, The Commons is committed to supporting projects that benefit the broader neighbourhood. The BIA would operate independently, with its own board made up of local representatives, while The Commons continues to drive community-building projects across downtown Hamilton.
Creating a BIA in Hamilton involves a formal, multi-step process:
- Conduct outreach and gather support from local commercial property owners and business tenants
- Submit an application to the City of Hamilton with supporting documentation
- The City conducts a formal review and stakeholder notification process
- A vote is held among eligible commercial property owners and tenants within the proposed boundary
- If approved, the BIA is formally established through a city by-law
We're currently at the most important stage: gathering feedback and support to help move this forward.
Yes. The Hamilton Entertainment District BIA is a proposed new BIA that would operate independently, with its own board and budget, focused specifically on the cultural and entertainment core of downtown.
It is being developed in collaboration with the existing Downtown Hamilton BIA to complement — not replace — its work. Together, these BIAs would represent distinct areas of the city with shared goals and coordinated efforts.
The proposed area includes a vibrant mix of rate payers — including restaurants, retail shops, entertainment venues, professional services, galleries, and cultural institutions.
Yes — the Downtown Hamilton BIA exists and continues to do great work for its members. The proposed Hamilton Entertainment District BIA would serve a separate but neighbouring area — focused specifically on the city’s entertainment, arts, and cultural core. Together, both BIAs would help strengthen downtown Hamilton as a whole — each supporting the unique needs of their respective communities.