Program helps business cover vandalism costs
Catwalk Fashions will be among the first beneficiaries of a recently expanded program that helps downtown businesses cover costs to repair vandalism.
The Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association now provides up to $500 per year to help downtown stores replace broken windows and graffiti.
In the past the DNBIA’s Safety and Security Committee paid up to $65 per incident to help clean up graffiti, but the association recently revamped the program to raise benefits and cover more types of vandalism.
Corry Hostetter, DNBIA general manager, said the additional money being offered is simply an update to the association’s existing graffiti removal program.
“We wanted to make sure the program was addressing all vandalism needs,” Hostetter said. “We do see broken windows and we also see facades are damaged here and there, so we wanted to make sure the program encompassed that too and that the funds were available.”
Catwalk Fashions has a broken display window in need of replacement at the corner of Terminal Avenue and Commercial Street – a highly visible, high traffic intersection. Hostetter said the store will be the first business to take advantage of the new program.
Part of the criteria for receiving the benefits is that business property owners conduct Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design assessments of their properties with the RCMP.
For more information, please visit www.dnbia.ca.
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