Business View Magazine - April 2016 21
“So, you’ve got this vibrant energy that has been creat-
ed because of the three public buildings, one of which
was the University’s, and we have completely trans-
formed how people see the downtown - which at one
point was a largely vacant, run-down downtown, much
like any mid-sized town in North America. And, these
investments, totaling close to $300 million in public
dollars, have now attracted private sector investment
into the area. You’ve got developers buying up proper-
ty along the main street and there are two apartment
buildings being built just down the road that will house
students and young professionals who are looking for
that urban experience. And it’s the first two apartment
complexes have been built in downtown, in more than
30 years.”
While the rapid growth of this new economic engine is
stunning in itself, what is equally remarkable is that all
of St. Catherines public investments were made during
the time of the greatest economic downturn in genera-
tions. And yet, while the most of the world’s economies
