Grey Lynn’s BID for progress

Grey Lynn and Around, the Grey Lynn Business Association, is moving to become a Business Improvement District (BID).

All the other city fringe business areas – Ponsonby, Newmarket, Karangahape Road and Kingsland – are BIDs. Grey Lynn and Around is the exception. We’ve resolved to attempt to fix this.

At present we’re funded by voluntary member subscriptions and small grants from the council. A lot of our work is done by volunteers. While it is great to be in an organisation of businesses helping businesses, we are unable to deliver the range of programmes, promotion and support for businesses in Grey Lynn, compared to other city fringe areas.

We have a great and unique vision. Seeing business, community sustainability and environment coming together in a sweet spot will ensure Grey Lynn is New Zealand’s best place to live and work. But we need to be better resourced to make this happen. So, we are now on a two-year journey to become a BID, which means predictable funding each year as part of the rate. We have the support of the Waitemat-a Local Board and we will now be going out to all local businesses in the Grey Lynn area to discuss how a BID could be best structured to work for the area.

We are not rushing this – we need to get it right. We look forward to working with our local businesses on this exciting step. If you want to get involved, go to our web site and get in touch.

While this is going on, we are continuing to work for the community.

Partnering with Auckland Unlimited, we will be delivering the local Elemental Food Festival. We are planning a series of Saturday night markets in July, with multiple food trucks, entertainment, crafts and arts, plus special signature dishes from local eateries.

We are also helping to expand Grey Lynn as a market destination. The Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market is already an icon and a huge success. Andrew, Neil and the team at 606 Great North Road are now developing a start-up Eco Market in Grey Lynn village. They have held one successful event and are looking to make this regular, and to complement the farmers’ market. We are supporting this venture with local promotion. It is great to see local business bring vitality and culture to our streets. We all benefit.

Earlier this month we held a well-attended business accelerator event with speakers from Auckland Transport, the Grey Lynn Residents Association (GLRA) and ourselves talking about making Great North Road a safer and better place.

A huge thanks to Liz Mitchell Designs and Pearl at 149 Great North Road, who hosted the event. The resident’s association and Auckland Transport each put forward their vision for the development of Great North Road and local businesses were able to ask questions, challenge and debate ideas.

The future of Great North Road is of critical importance to the Grey Lynn community supporting intensification and businesses as well as enabling multi-modal efficient safe transport. We are concerned the Auckland Transport plan is not aspirational or visionary enough. Getting the upgrade right can turn the road from a bleak and windswept corridor into a place that is people friendly and is
a catalyst for high quality regeneration of the Great North Road ridge. The alternative is to lock in a second-rate solution for a generation. This is a huge opportunity to get urban planning and our roading right. We want Great North Road to be a gateway to Auckland we can all be proud of.

www.greylynn-around.com

Photos are from our highly successful event 5 May 2021.

#ponsonbynews #iloveponsonby #ponsonby #auckland #aucklandshippestrip #onlyponsonby #ponsonbyroad #Greylynn #freemansbay #westmere #ponsonby #hernebay #stmarysbay #archhill #family #friends #coxsbay #greylynnandaround #greatnorthroad