<  Page  1  2  3 >

It was in that dismal atmosphere that the idea of creating a business improvement district (1988) was formed.  The idea was that with the BID, the merchants would not have to go around trying to collect money for events and that there could be a coordinated effort to improve the street. The BID can “make changes on the street that as individual merchants we could not do ourselves.” Fred Gerson, Owner, Fair Home Decorators Myrtle Avenue BID,  Queens, NY

The beauty of the BID is that the group decides how to dispense the funds.  The city collects the funds at the same time and the same manner as the city taxes, and returns it to you so you can be more self sufficient. Theodore Renz, Executive Director Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership Brooklyn, NY

A small building owner working alone has limited impact, but a BID can bring together the resources of a whole neighborhood to make the streets more inviting. In this time of tight budgets, the money contributed to a BID is the most effective investment, because it is multiplied by neighboring property owners. By coming together and agreeing to collectively contribute money for the benefit of an entire district, we communicate a powerful message to the public about our confidence in Downtown Boston's future. Downtown Property Owner Boston, MA

Since the enactment of the UK BIDs legislation in 2004 the development of BIDs has exceeded the expectation of most. It would be wrong to think that interventions can be designed to solve all of our urban problems. However BIDs, properly configured, are surely part of the solution. City Mayors International Think Tank

In the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, the HUB-Third Ave. BID’s efforts have “helped build a new residential district.  This sparkling new community was developed by a company named ‘Nos Quedamos,” which means “‘We Stay.’”  In many ways the HUB BID and its constituency symbolizes the rebirth of the Bronx.” BIDs are dedicated to the neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach.  As long as there’s a sense of local pride, a feeling of belonging to your own corner of New York, BIDs will thrive.  They’re the wave of the future.” Steve Fish, President HUB-Third Avenue BID, Bronx, NY

At heart, most criticism of BIDs springs from a deep suspicion of private enterprise, which some people believe can be up to no good where public spaces are concerned. BIDs are disproving that belief, showing that private interest and the public good can coincide. They are providing a model of efficient public services which governments should emulate. And in a city such as New York, often swayed by anti-business sentiment, BIDs have given property owners a much-needed voice.                                                                The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

<  Page  1  2  3 >