Neighbours work to improve Little India retail strip.
A photo of the Little India strip as it looks today. The Gerrard East Community Organization hopes to give the strip a facelift and encourage businesses to clean up their stores and help beautify the neighbourhood.
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It's not something that will happen overnight, but those living near the Little India shopping district along Gerrard Street East at Coxwell Avenue are hopeful the area will soon see better days.
Late last year, about 50 area residents came together to form Gerrard East Community Organization (GECO), which has the mandate of bringing together the merchants, community services, artists and families of Gerrard Street East to celebrate the neighbourhood's diverse and vibrant cultures.
The aim is to work together towards a vital and dynamic neighbourhood for all by fostering mutual respect and collaboration.
"We want a more vibrant business community and main street for tourists and community members to enjoy," said the group's chair, Belynda Blyth, a local realtor who has called the Little India area home for more than 20 years.
"Everyone who lives here bought because of Little India. We just want to get involved and shop on our main street."
Blyth said area residents are interested in drawing more up-to-date and relevant businesses to the area while maintaining the colours and flavours of the India Bazaar.
"All of this is important and we don't want to lose that," she said, adding there's room in the area for a cheese shop, a bakery, a yoga studio, an ice cream shop, and a pub among other things.
The new community group is also looking at ways to beautify the retail strip, which has a number of empty, unkempt storefronts.
"It's not an easy task to get these folks to turn in our direction. It's going to take some time, but we're coming with some really great ideas any other neighbourhood could use," Blyth said.
"Everyone knows the heart of the neighborhood is the main street."
Longtime area resident Bryce Miranda, a GECO member as well as a member of the Ashdale Village Residents Association, works as a landscape architect by day and is proposing a storefront revitalization plan that would help clean up the business area.
Miranda attended a conference this past October where Jim Diers spoke about an innovative, temporary solution one Seattle, Washington community came up with to deal with eyesore properties. Essentially, windows of empty buildings were covered in plywood decorated with colourful murals either painted on or made of vinyl wrap. The designs depicted what "could be" in those vacant storefronts.
"We could get schools, organizations and local artists involved. This is an inexpensive way to revitalize the neighbourhood and it shows the community cares," Miranda said during a recent interview.
"It's a challenge to get the dialogue started and we realize entire streetscape revitalization is not possible, but residents need to work with the business community. Anyone who has an interest in improving the Gerrard Street East area is welcome to get involved and volunteer."
Subbu Chintaluri, manager of the Gerrard India Bazaar Business Improvement Area (BIA) - marketed as the largest collection of South Asian goods and services in North America - said the formation of GECO is a good thing.
"I think it's a good idea and good ideas are welcome. Dialogue is always good. We need to interact with one another," he said, adding it would be a bonus if the community came together to work on creating a public space in the commercial area where people could gather for events.
"There's enough space here for all of us to live here, grow and prosper, but it takes time. It's a good neighbourhood, but we can go to the next level."
South Asian merchants have operated businesses in the area since the late 1960s. The BIA has been around for the last 30 or so years.
Chintaluri said any community organization interested in the positive development of Gerrard Street East from Glenside to Coxwell avenues is more than welcome.
"Diversity is good. It adds colour to the community," he said, pointing to Lazy Daisy's Cafe, which opened in the area last fall.
"(Owner Dawn Chapman) took a big risk to open it and it's doing really well. We need all kinds of businesses to come here."
However, when it comes to the maintenance and upkeep of properties in the area, Chintaluri admitted it's a tough situation.
"You can't really force people. (The BIA) has no way of enforcing things," he said, adding only the City has the authority to issue work orders and such.
"There are also some cultural and language issues," he said, noting some landlords just don't listen or aren't interested in investing in their properties.
Nonetheless, Chintaluri said he's encouraging BIA members to apply for the facade improvement program where merchants match a $10,000 grant from the city.
"I'm trying to talk to all the members," he said.
On Thursday, Feb. 23, GECO members will hold a meet and greet session with local merchants and restaurateurs.
Anyone concerned about improving the Gerrard Street East retail strip is welcome to meet at Lazy Daisy's Cafe, 1515 Gerrard St. E. at Coxwell Avenue, at 6 p.m.
The goal of the door-to-door event is to initiate the dialogue with area merchants and restaurateurs about how everyone can work together to improve the neighbourhood.
In turn, GECO is hopeful these improvements will draw more shoppers and patrons to the community.
Visit www.gecotoronto.ca or email info@gecotoronto.ca for more details.