A BID is an Investment in Ourselves
A Cleaner Community
A BID can provide daily, enhanced sanitation services
- sidewalk sweeping, odor abatement, trash bagging, power washing, and graffiti
removal. Before the Clean Streets program, Chinatown (along
with Bedford-Stuyvesant) was rated by the Daily News as one
of five filthiest neighborhoods in New York City.
Benefits:
improved quality of life for all patrons of
the neighborhood, and reduce violations and fines.
"Sanitation is important.
Chinatown has a lot of restaurants, and all the garbage that is
generated has to go somewhere, otherwise the neighborhood
becomes a cesspool."
R.K.Chin
A Journey
Through Chinatown
Professional Marketing and Special Events
A BID can produce major events and materials
that raise a neighborhood's profile. This means the Explore ChinatownSM
campaign, including the top-Google ranked website
ExploreChinatown.com
and the popular Taste of ChinatownSM food festival, could be sustained and
augmented.
Benefits:
increased foot traffic, visitors, and customers
for local businesses.
Organized Advocacy - Strength in Numbers
A BID can be a powerful voice for economic
priorities with government agencies. BID legislation brings
representatives from the Mayor's Office, the
Comptroller, Manhattan
Borough President and District Council member to meet with
businesses monthly to address BID concerns.
Benefits:
Obtain a fair share and
proper delivery of government improvements and services, such as
additional parking, road improvements, street lighting and police
protection.
Neighborhood Improvements
A BID can implement neighborhood improvements such
as street and holiday lights, trees, maps and
directional signage that require professional district management.
Benefits:
$1,600,000 in funding
has been allocated by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation
to install lights and
wayfinding tools (e.g. signage, history trail, sidewalk decal) to
draw visitors from Lower Manhattan to Chinatown
once a BID is formed to receive and manage these services.
This is
just the beginning of what is possible for a unified district.
Money Stays in the Community
A BID's budget and services are determined by property owners and merchants on the BID's Board of
Directors. Any increases in BID assessment must be approved by
NYC City Council.
Civic Pride
Everything a BID does improves the neighborhood
and instills pride in the community.