Hess Village businesses expected to form BIA

For anyone who’s grown up in Hamilton, Hess Village is the fabric of this community. That’s according to the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce (HCC).

They say that small businesses usually have small but mighty teams, and BIAs give them the extra support they need to keep businesses running.

“They do that in the right way in terms of bringing life to the space by adding value to the space and tourism to Hamilton,” Greg Dunnett, President and CEO of HCC said.

The name ‘Hess Village’ used to evoke images of bars and nightlife, but now with new businesses and even spas arriving in the area, that momentum is changing. With a new BIA, local businesses are hoping to build on that momentum.

Drop Dead Gorgeous Med Spa has seen this shift first-hand. Stephanie Violi is the spa’s clinical director and sees the sense of community and support the BIA will bring.

“Now that we’re offering more than just nightlife, there’s health and wellness, some retail coming in, I feel like the BIA will unify all that,” she said.

Jerome Skara, owner of Gown and Gavel, says the shift he’s seen over the years points to changing tastes. More diverse businesses have set up shop and he says the area is now known for more than the nightlife.

“About 15 years ago when I came into Hess Village it looked a little bit different than it is today,” Skara said.

“Now with the bigger BIA coming – and I believe 95 per cent of the owners and landlords here have voted in favour of it – I think it’s going to broaden our reach within City Hall.” 

“It took dozens and dozens of meetings, a lot of time and effort on our part, but we see the momentum changing in Hess Village,” Julie Boyer, owner of Pizza Bros said.

“We see that it’s more of a vibrant community now.”

READ MORE: Thousands of motorcycle fans head to Port Dover for Friday the 13th