The
World of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)
It’s not always easy keeping a bustling commercial area clean and safe. The high volume of cars, people and merchants usually found on popular shopping strips can create litter, noise, and crime that sometimes makes attracting customers difficult for smaller stores. That’s why several Queens shopping hot spots have become Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), or areas where merchants agree to pay a portion of their assessed property values annually to fund a variety of services and products, from private cleaning companies to holiday decorations. There are 44 BIDS across the five boroughs and nine in Queens, each one a non-profit corporation controlled by a local management association that handles the funds and decides where they will be spent. According to the New York City Department of Small Business Services – which oversees the creation of BIDs but does not control them directly – all stores within a BID are assessed so the owners can pay a portion of their property values to the City along with their regular taxes. The money is then returned in full from the City to the BID’s management association for use within the boundaries of the BID. The money can be used for capital improvements, increased security, private cleaning companies, holiday decorations, marketing and promotions, street fairs, and a host of other things that could make the stores in the BID more attractive to shoppers. In addition to the nine established Queens BIDs, there are also several commercial areas in Queens that have expressed interest in becoming BIDs over the past year. According to Small Business Services, the process for formulating a BID starts with the community coming together and identifying a need. A project leader needs to be appointed, and a situational assessment must be written. At that point, a Steering Committee must be put together to write a district plan and obtain mayoral authorization to continue the process. Once the mayor’s office approves going further, the City and the Steering Committee must conduct outreach, which includes collecting property owner and tenant information, finalizing a district plan, collecting documented support for the plan, and holding an interagency meeting to discuss each agency’s role and the feasibility of the plan. Shopping strips interested in formulating BIDs can get more information from either George Glatter or Edward Eng at Small Businesses Services. Glatter can be reached at either (212) 513-6442 or gglatter@dbs.nyc.gov, while Eng can be reached at either (212) 513-6413 or eeng@dbs.nyc.gov.
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