The Municipality of Kincardine is creating a new Community Improvement Plan (CIP) to attract investment and foster economic growth.

What is a Community Improvement Plan?

A CIP is a planning and economic development tool that municipalities may use to facilitate broad community revitalization goals through grants or loans to private property owners and tenants. The new CIP will also align with Bruce County’s recently enhanced Spruce the Bruce program. 

Purpose

The new CIP Program would provide a range of incentives to promote and support the following types of priority development and revitalization projects aligned with many of the priorities at the County and Municipal level, including:

  • Downtown revitalization of store fronts and streetscapes; reduction of vacant storefronts;
  • To increase affordable/attainable housing stock in the Municipality;
  • To promote the development of vacant or underutilized properties and encourage/attract investment;
  • To increase agricultural value-add, agri-tourism, and facility improvement projects.

Draft CIP

On November 22, 2023, Council for the Municipality of Kincardine reviewed Economic Development Report #2023-01 and passed a motion directing staff to submit the draft Community Improvement Plan (CIP) to the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) for review. Once the CIP is reviewed by the Ministry, municipal staff will provide a follow-up report to Council regarding the administration of the plan and recommended funding for 2024 CIP programs.

Community Engagement

Public Meeting

A formal public meeting will be conducted in early 2024 to gather additional public input prior to the CIP going forward to council for approval and adoption. More information will be shared when a date is determined.

Open House

The Municipality of Kincardine and pl.ural Consulting hosted the initial “Come and Go” Open House at the Davidson Centre on October 4th, 2022 to introduce the new Community Improvement Plan to the community. Thank you to those who attended and/or filled out the survey. 

Information that was presented at the initial Open House is available here. 

Online Survey

The Municipality conducted an online survey to gather input from local businesses and the community. The survey results can be found here.

Thank you for your time and valuable input!

Contact(s)