10 Tough Questions with Glen Norton

Glen Norton is the new senior business development consultant with Hamilton's downtown renewal office. Read more about him here . For 10 Tough Questions, Glen provides some additional insight into his approach and aspirations for downtown renewal.

1. In your interview with the Hamilton Spectator, you left no doubt that you are confident and enthusiastic about downtown renewal. What willyour focus be in the first 90 days?

In addition to learning about what programs the City has to encourage development downtown, I am meeting many of the key players: the developers, City staff, BIA staff, and business owners to develop my own understanding of what the challenges have been, what has worked well (and what hasn't and why). From this orientation and meeting phase I hope to be better equipped to add value personally.

2. What is your message to small business people who are finding it challenging to operate in the core?

I do believe the business environment continues to improve downtown. I would encourage them to join and actively participate in a BIA – things do get done when people with common issues band together. I understand this Department is big on the “one stop shopping” approach to providing services, which will become more apparent at the new City Hall and is already getting some traction on-line. I would also suggest they make themselves aware of the financial incentive programs the City offers in the downtown enterprise zone and the BIA's. They can find these at www.hamiltonrenewal.ca, or call us at Downtown Renewal. Our programs are designed to create jobs and create housing, both of which provide market opportunities for our downtown businesses.

3. One of your stated goals is to address the boarded up places throughout the core. How are you planning to approach that issue?

I much prefer the 'carrot' to the 'stick' approach. In other words, we need to maintain the successes of by-laws and enforcement for vacant buildings (as seen in the recent Spectator article), and we need to balance this with incentives for revitalizing vacant buildings. Ultimately, as the business environment improves downtown it will make good financial sense to the property owners to remove the boards and develop the space for commercial, retail, or housing uses. And by the way, I don't believe there are nearly as many boarded up buildings downtown as people think.

4. Change and transformation are two different things in terms of magnitude. Are you looking at a transformation, or a change?

Tough question, in fact, I had to go look up a definition using Google: “Change is incremental at best. It is about moving the pieces in a game on the same board or field. Change is like putting on a new outfit. Transformation is fundamental and structural. It is about changing the field or the board on which we are playing. Transformation is about changing from within. Transformation requires change; change does not require transformation. “ Given those definitions, I would have to say that there needs to be some of both. The transformational part is in people's attitudes – that Hamiltonians will stop berating and belittling the downtown and will come to see it as an area worthy of respect for its history, and support for what it is becoming. The changes are incremental, and started at least five years ago. Every new store that opens, or living unit that is created, or event held in the downtown core is in itself a change that will bring about other changes. Some exciting possibilities – like the PanAm games or an NHL team – may accelerate the pace of change, but we should not forget about those labouring day by day to make the downtown a better place.


5. You mentioned that your goal is to make the need for your job redundant. What measures or indicators would you be looking for to know that you've reached that objective?

The biggest indicator of success will be that deals are happening, new businesses are opening, building owners are improving their properties – all without the assistance of any City funded programs. Other indicators will be that the commercial vacancy rate has declined, and the number of people who live, work and play downtown has increased.

6. Many have said that they don't feel safe when walking downtown Hamilton at night. To the extent that this perception is out there, how can we address this problem?

As you said Cal, it is really a perception, without a lot of reality. This issue is one that is shared by all cities of comparable size. There is a dedicated police presence in the core and increased closed circuit television cameras, showing the commitment of Hamilton Police Services. I would encourage any citizen of Hamilton to make the trip downtown, spend some time and money here. Their presence, active engagement, and their spending, are really the keys to a vibrant city core.

7. Many attempts, from well intentioned people, have been made to breath new life into our city's core. What makes you different?

I am not sure what you are referring to by the ‘many attempts’, the only one that I am aware of is the well intentioned mistake made when the old City Hall and downtown neighbourhoods were replaced by a monolithic urban mall which turned its back to the sidewalk (and this is a mistake that numerous cities across North America made in the ‘70’s). I do believe that there have been many positive contributions made by many people, from the small business owner to the largest corporations and institutions. I can only hope to keep the momentum going and to accelerate the rate of change. I can’t do this alone, and fortunately I don’t have to! There are a lot of people committed to making the downtown a better place, and I feel privileged to be working with them. If you want to know why I think I can be successful in this new job, I would tell you that I bring a very broad, multidisciplinary and collaborative approach that I have arrived at through my careers in Landscape Architecture, banking, and small business ownership. I also think my timing is good: people seem open to change right now, and are talking about what is happening, not just what might happen. This positive thinking was indicated in a recent online poll, and I hear it in conversations regularly – particularly when talking with the younger people and newer businesses.

8. What will the city's core look and feel like five years from now, if you succeed?

In five years there will be more of all the good things that are currently happening downtown: more people will be living, working and playing downtown. The downtown will be where the bright young minds graduating from McMaster and Mohawk will want to work and live, instead of moving to Toronto. The downtown will be where our citizens go when they want to enjoy the best in arts and culture, whether it be music, drama or fine arts. In five years we won’t be at the destination of what the downtown will become, but we will be well on our way.

9. What is the biggest challenge to achieving your objectives? How do you plan to tackle it?

The biggest challenge by far is going to be real and measurable change in the mindsets and perceptions of people – and I am not just talking about those “on the outside looking in” (like Torontonians), but Hamiltonians themselves. I see a real attitude of cynicism and apathy from too many people that should know better. Tackling those long-entrenched attitudes is not going to be easy, but if I have to start by changing them one person at a time, so be it. I see it like that old shampoo commercial: ”…. and she told two people, who told two people, who told two people…..” . I will be taking every opportunity I can to get the message out that we don’t need to wait for the “home runs” – single base hits are the way to win a ball game.

10. What is the biggest opportunity that the core offers, and what is the biggest barrier. How will you approach these?

I think the core offers two strengths that will lead to opportunities for economic growth: the first is easy access to everything a business could need or want; the second is character – for example: great old buildings, Gore Park and the waterfront. Part of my strategy is going to be to present these strengths to companies that do not currently operate in Hamilton (read: in downtown Toronto). When you add the very affordable housing stock throughout Hamilton to the mix, I see our downtown as a fantastic opportunity for regional offices for the national and international companies, and for head offices of the regional firms, particularly in the financial services and not-for-profit sectors.

Special thanks to Glen for his contribution to "The Hamiltonian" , for his service to the city, and for his interest in our city.



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