Bestselling entrepreneurial author Jim Rohn once said, “Whatever good things we build end up building us”. In Woodstock, our streets are no utopia, but at Woodstock Improvement District we are committed to working collaboratively to improve our community. We believe that improvement is contagious – which is why we have initiated Our Facade Improvement Programme (FIP). The FIP is specifically designed to encourage businesses, like yours, to invest in the exterior functionality and curb appeal of your premises while providing peace of mind that we at the WID are working to protect your property from vandalism and malicious degradation.
The FIP is intended to be the first step on the investment journey that we walk together – as business owners, community members, municipal bodies and the Woodstock Improvement District – to repair the urban decay in our surroundings. Ultimately, we work towards creating a healthy urban environment to improve local socio-economic circumstances, the safety of our population and the quality of life for all our inhabitants.
Our Facade Improvement Programme is a tool for inner-city revitalisation based on the formal processes used extensively in American towns and cities with resounding success. The efficacy of this protocol is well documented. It proves that the use of these processes restores citizens’ local pride, creates unique urban character, and repairs the functionality of an urban area.
Studies by the University of Wisconsin have found that even small outlays towards a Facade Improvement Programme have a positive impact on investment for landlords, business owners and employees alike.
Property Landlords
- Property landlords generated more revenue due to new occupancy in previously unoccupied commercial spaces.
- Landlords were able to increase the economic return with existing renters due to facility and facade improvements.
- The resale value for landlords looking to sell their property increased.
- Interior improvements can be made more cost-effective and efficient if done in conjunction with exterior renovations.
Business Owners
- First-time customers went up by 80% in certain businesses that improved their storefronts.
- Improved facades led to an increase in sales of up to 90% for people facing businesses in mixed-use areas.
- The positive publicity and recognition of improved facades piqued the interest of a new, more diverse range of customers which aided in stabilizing businesses’ income stream in times of economic instability.
- Other local businesses felt an urgency to improve their facades and facilities to maintain a competitive edge.
It’s clear that facade improvements are a catalyst for many positive changes. By attracting new customers and tenants, they help inject more capital into our community, thereby improving the financial microclimate of Woodstock. Not to mention increasing the overall employee engagement and morale by creating a positive working environment.
At the WID we are working alongside you to make a positive impact by:
- Keeping the streets clean of litter to make sure that Woodstock remains clean and attractive to your new visitors.
- Removing all graffiti tags which aids in keeping your area safer by hindering criminal syndicates from targeting your business.
- Keeping the area free from posters on streetlights, road signs and boundaries such as fences.
As part of our urban community, you can help us with our Facade Improvement Programme by:
- Adding appropriate, well-designed custom signage to help employees and customers know where you are, where they should park and where they enter to stop them from passing your business by.
- Improving the aesthetic of your facade by adding lighting, resurfacing with cladding and paint, and adapting details such as decorative awnings, trims and cornices.
- Rejuvenating architectural features on larger investments such as windows, entrances and doorways.
- Improve the accessibility of your property with ramps, rails, wider doors and sanitation stations that do not obstruct the flow of foot traffic.
- Adorning your building exterior with the kind of beautiful murals and street art that make Woodstock famous as a cultural hub and creative destination in Cape Town.
Through the Facade Improvement Programme, we work tirelessly to protect your investment from being damaged. We pride ourselves on providing swift and efficient intervention should a challenge arise. Ultimately, we want to help our community become a clean, healthy and safe place to work, live and thrive.
We would love to see what you are working on so please share your #goodnews!
You can contact us and share your story about how you are improving our area via manager@wid.co.za or by tagging us on social media @woodstockimprovementdistrict and add #woodstockcapetown to your posts.
If you have any concerns to report, please contact one of the following numbers:
- 10111 – SAPS (South African Police Services)
- 107 – City of Cape Town Disaster Management
- 021 565 0900 – WID / Geocentric Control Room
Images of Woodstock street art courtesy of photographer Bettina Schuette, taken at IPAF 2021 – the international street art festival held in Woodstock and Salt River.
