Pop-UP with DECA – Call for tenant applications

Pop-UP With DECA This June!

The call for tenants for the next round of Pop-Up Shops is on!

Deadline is May 15, 2013, we’re hoping for Pop-Up-a-Looza of 16 – 18 shops opening in mid-June. Help us to renew East Danforth!

Application + FAQs + guidelines for the June launch of Pop Up Shops can be found at the DECA website. Tell your friends. Tell your family. See below for more info!

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The Danforth East Community Association (DECA) is now calling for proposals for pop-up shops to take place in otherwise empty spaces on Danforth between Monarch Park Avenue and Main Street.

Deadline for applications is midnight Wednesday May 15, 2013.

The Pop-Up Project aims to bring activity to Danforth’s otherwise empty properties between Monarch Park Avenue and Main Street. DECA brokers temporary access to these spaces to allow arts projects, unique enterprises or community activities to flourish. This generates activity and interest in the east end of the city, enhances the cultural life of the city, provides opportunities to groups/individuals who would otherwise have limited access to space, and improves the look and feel of Danforth. Click here to read more about The Pop-up Project.

THERE ARE VACANT STORE FRONTS ON THE DANFORTH WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING TO FILL. ARE YOU INTERESTED?

WHAT ARE THE TERMS AND COSTS?

TERMS
Up to six-month rolling leases with a 30-day notice period.

COSTS
Variable – Participation Fee is $165 per week (to cover taxes, utilities and admin). This equates to approximately $750 per month. After the first month, tenants will be expected to pay landlords the participation fee plus 10% of sales beyond $7500 each month.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

• If you run a unique store that will draw shoppers to the neighbourhood

• If you are a maker of fashion, jewellery, housewares, art objects, toys, kids clothes, trinkets or other fantastic things; or a creator of prints, photography, illustration, sculpture, painting, textiles or other art

• If you want to run a gallery or exhibition space for yourself or a collective of artists

• If you run a fitness, activity or learning program for children, youth and/or adults

• If you sell specialty products that aren’t currently available in the neighbourhood

• If you are part of a small collective of emerging creative professionals with diverse practices but a shared vision wanting to make your own hub in a shared office space

• If you have a low impact, small scale art studio practice suited for a clean office environment (photography, illustration, design, fashion, video, animation etc)

• If you run a community/not-for-profit project which would otherwise not have access to space

THERE ARE THREE INITIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR PROPOSAL

1. UNIQUE OR ORIGINAL PRODUCTS/WORKS
An opportunity for entrepreneurs, artists, craftspeople and designers who have products and/or activities and what to expand their audiences and test a bricks & mortar retail and gallery opportunity. They might already sell online or at markets, or have a body of works ready to show. In all instances we are looking for enterprise at a stage that won’t compete directly/unfairly with existing business. We encourage artists who create their own works and entrepreneurs who sell products not available on our strip of Danforth between Monarch Park Avenue and Main Street.

2. OPENING HOURS
The projects must be publicly accessible (shops, galleries, and activity studios), have set hours and be open five days a week (some exceptions apply, depending on location). Office or studio spaces don’t need to be open to the public, however from time to time we would expect you to participate in promotional activities such as open studio showings, or office tours. Again, you need to use the space to its full potential (not just for a few hours a week).

3. READY NOW!
You must be ready to go immediately. There is a very tight turn around to get into these spaces and to maximize the 30-day notice period. That means once we have approved your proposal, you will only have a couple of weeks to prepare the space and open up.

Remember: we want these spaces to directly benefit the creators themselves, and they cannot compete unfairly with existing city businesses between Monarch Park Avenue and Main Street.

THE SPACES ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR

• Wholesalers

• Franchises

• Businesses that require extensive additional infrastructure, machinery or appliances beyond what is available i.e. restaurants; major manufacturers/factories

• Business that might disrupt surrounding businesses i.e. clubs; bars

• Businesses that do not have the appropriate licences to distribute the items they are selling, for example, alcohol

We are looking for can-do people who do interesting things and can present them in a professional and beautiful way. You need to be excited by this opportunity and plan to make the absolute most of it.

Deadline for applications is midnight Wednesday May 15, 2013.

Paint and Donate!

Paint and Donate!

Paint a door to raise money for Habitat for Humanity! Habitat for Humanity Re-store is organizing artists to creatively paint doors.

When: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, Saturday, April 27th 2013
Where: OAKS ‘N ACORNS’ garage in the alleyway (1856 Danforth Avenue)

To paint a door, contact:
Doug Taylor 416-755-7353 ext.303 at Re-store.
Or email Carolyn here.

For more info, click here for the website.  This is a very cool idea!!

Police Meeting and Safety Update

Safety in our Neighbourhood – What can YOU do?

As DECA has evolved, we have taken our little group of neighbours and done some pretty amazing things.  In the meantime, some of our bread-and-butter activities have become defunct, and we need your help to get back on track.

We used to have a person or group of people whose focus was safety.  Some of the functions might include: connecting with the police to get updates when things happen, doing safety walks around the community, organizing self-defence classes, or [insert your great safety idea here].  If you are interested in helping us out, please send us an email.  There is lots of room for creativity, so if you have ideas or just genuine concern, we would really love to hear from you.

Update on 54 Division

This Thursday, April 25, 2013 the Toronto Police Services Board will have a public meeting at its Headquarters at 40 College Street, starting at 1:30 p.m. and 54 Division is on the agenda. (Click here to see for yourself – item #29)  Although this is my first time trying to read a Toronto Police Services Board agenda, it appears that this Thursday, the Board will consider this recommendation:

  • The Chief of Police prepare a report for the Board’s May 22, 2013 public meeting setting out the details of the CIOR project assessing whether to close 13 and 54 Divisions as well as setting out a proposed community consultation process for the Board’s consideration

(The recommendation is in response to a City Council motion)

For more information, see the letter below that we got from the Friends of 54 Division.

CCF19042013_00002If you need a refresher on what the options are for 54 Division, see our past post.

Grand Opening today – buy one get one free

Need a late lunch or quick dinner? Grand opening at Main & Danforth (2632 Danforth Avenue) – TODAY!

GRAND OPENING

GRAND OPENING

Reminder…

Hope to see you all at 2:00 p.m. at East Lynn Park for our Earth Day Clean-Up with Councillors McMahon and Davis. Maybe some collective good karma out there will stop this darn snow from falling?!!

A park worth visiting on Stephenson Avenue

With this beautiful weather finally upon us, (okay, and some torrential rain, but let’s go with glass half-full) it is time to get out strolling with the dog, the kids, the partner, the cute guy/gal you met for coffee last week and want to see again.  (Who says “gal”?)

Think about strolling over to Stephenson Park sometime.  It’s just south of Danforth and west of Main, on Stephenson Avenue, and it’s a lovely spot with a wading pool, playground, loads of space.  We posted about it last summer, including pictures of the newly painted pool. (Click here for that post)  We hear that more trees are on the way, and a group of caring neighbours have formed a group to help improve the park even more.

If you prefer a more concrete reason to visit the park, here are two:

Community Clean-up this Saturday @ 10:30 a.m.

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Frisbee on Wednesdays

(we posted about this earlier this week, but now there’s a poster!)

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Do you know about Jane’s Walks?  They are happening this year on May 4th and 5th, and DECA’s own Steve Wickens is guiding one in our neighbourhood.  To find out more, click here.

Dogs, Clean-Ups and Frisbee – our parks rock!

Is there ever any end to the cool things that go on in our local parks?

Clean ups for Earth Day this Saturday!

Merril Park Dog Association Spring Clean!
Saturday, April 20, 2013 10:00 a.m. – noon in Merril Park
Check out their blog to learn more about them!

Councillor McMahon’s Annual Spring Clean-Up – Danforth East
with DECA and the Danforth Mosaic BIA and Councillor Davis!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
2:00 p.m. onward (until it’s clean!)
Meet at East Lynn Park, bring gloves

Councillor Davis’ Clean Up Day
Too many events to list in and around our area, including our join event starting at East Lynn Park at 2:00 p.m. – here is the link to her website: http://www.councillordavis.com/action-centre/1356

Ultimate Frisbee at Stephenson Park! (Main & Danforth Aves)

A word from a local business we just heard from:

Our business is called REC Athletics, we organize and facilitate adult recreational level sports leagues. We are starting out our 2013 season with an Ultimate Frisbee league, operating on Wednesday nights @ Stephenson Park. The spring season will commence on May 15, 2013 running until end of June, with a skills workshop, and scrimmage being held on May 5, 2013. Our summer season will begin early July, running through until the end of August. We are also working with the city on some plans to include a fall season that would operate through September and October.


Registrations are happening quickly, but we still have several spots remaining for both team, and individual registrants. People can visit our website (www.recatheltics.com) for more information or to register! We will be launching a new website June 1st, this will better serve our customers and our business with a more efficient registration and payment system. Also people are encouraged to visit and “Like” our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/RecAthletics) to remain updated with all the happenings REC Athletics!

DECA is on Twitter @DECADiaries – help us get to 300 followers! Tell your friends!