If you’ve been to Downtown Langley recently, you many have noticed that there is an ever increasing number of vacant storefronts and offices. The higher vacancy rate is due to a variety reasons from aging infrastructure and buildings, the weak economy, the continued development of the auto-centric Langley Bypass, and the lack of rapid transit. The Downtown BIA is also still positioning Downtown Langley as an auto-centric regional commercial area instead of a pedestrian and cyclist-friendly local commercial area. This puts Downtown Langley in direct competition with Willowbrook and the Langley Bypass. While this may seem all doom and gloom, I believe Downtown Langley is in a state of transition. The area is starting to redevelop into a more pedestrian-friendly area as more mixed-use and residential condos continue to come online. It will just take some time for business to adjust to the changing demographics. In the meantime, I saw the following wraps that have popped up at one of the vacant buildings in Downtown. It’s a bit better than an empty window, but it also draws attention to the empty storefront.
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Thank you for bringing attention to these creative and beautifully done window clings in downtown Langley. These buildings are scheduled for demolition in October. Originally they were going to be taken down in August, but rather than have demolition throughout the summer months we opted to advertise our many events that are taking place downtown and in Douglas Park.
Although it is true that our infrastructure is aging, we have developed a great grant program called "Get Fresh" that assists property and businesses with their improvements through matching dollars. www.downtownlangley.com. In addition, McBurney Lane is scheduled for revitalization beginning in January 2013 and we feel strongly that this will strengthen the downtown pedestrian corridor and create an inviting a beautiful gathering place for people that connects the downtown with Douglas Park.
The BIA and the City of Langley are working together and redevelopment continues to be a priority. But don’t take our word for it – keep visiting and the ongoing changes will speak for themselves.
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