Rosemary Sansone, President of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, said her organization is making plans to coordinate with other urban organizations around the country and work with Mayor Martin J. Walsh to “advocate for his philosophy and priorities.” Sansone said in its four years of existence the BID’s strength has been that it is “nimble, flexible,” and, “That’s been our greatest success – listening to people.”
Sansone reviewed the success over four years of the BID, which is funded by an assessment on the businesses in the Downtown Crossing district. The budget of the organization is $6.7 million, spent about a third on keeping the neighborhood clean and about a fifth programs and hospitality.
Although business is the focus of the BID, as Boston has become more of a desired residential location there have been 23 new residential addresses in its boundaries since its inception in 2013. The BID, under a state law, is authorized by the vote of participating business located in the 34-block neighborhood, and it must be renewed every five years.
Business Improvement Districts, designed to protect neighborhoods and stimulate investment, have been around in North America since 1970, the first in Toronto. There are about 1,200 now, the first in the United States founded in New Orleans.
The BID held its first Taste of Downtown Crossing recently, to celebrate restaurants, and welcomed 1,200 visitors in 20 restaurants, held on the same day as a classic car show and also timed with Boston’s fashion week.
Property owners pay to support the BID’s work on a sliding scale depending on their size, Sansone said, ranging from $500 up to about $200,000 annually.
A recent survey showed a desire among residents and employees of the area for locally owned businesses, a pet goods store, and a place to buy home goods. She said the BID is encouraging additional lighting at the Court Square end of the Pi Alley Garage block, on the edge of the district.
Sansone about $4 billion has been invested in the area since the BID began.
