New York City is home to the most comprehensive network of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)in the country.
A Business Improvement District (BID) is a public/private partnership in which property and business owners elect to make a collective contribution to the maintenance, development, and promotion of their commercial district.
BIDs have helped revitalize neighborhoods and catalyze economic development throughout New York City. BIDs deliver supplemental services such as:
- sanitation and maintenance
- public safety and visitor services
- marketing and promotional programs
- capital improvements
- beautification for the area
All services are funded by a special assessment paid by property owners within the district. The City's 67 BIDs invest over $100 million annually in programs and services for neighborhoods across the five boroughs.
Establishing a new BID is a community-driven effort that involves the hard work of property owners, businesses, public officials, and other local stakeholders. The Neighborhood Development Division at SBS is here to assist these efforts in every way possible. Whether you’re simply looking for more information on BIDs, or ready to begin the BID formation process, the NDD team is willing and able to:
- Meet with you personally to introduce our set of services;
- Walk your district and meet local stakeholders;
- Supply you with easy to understand collateral on how to form a BID;
- Give you with estimates of what your district’s BID assessment may be;
- Guide you through the BID formation process and the BID start-up process after your BID has been signed into law.
Also available is BID Express, a new initiative that makes it easier for smaller commercial corridors to form BIDs. By utilizing a centralized management structure and focusing solely on sanitation and maintenance services, BID Express BIDs will deliver cost-efficient services to help strengthen New York City’s neighborhoods.
After forming a BID, it is important to make sure the organization is effective. Improving neighborhoods requires coordination and oversight by BID managers and staff, as well as continued communication with SBS and other City agencies. Our NDD staff sits on all 67 BID Board of Directors and serves as the BID’s primary point of contact with the City. We work one-on-one with BIDs to:
- Develop and implement programs and services that enhance their districts
- Share best practices on BID management and operations
- Provide oversight of the BID’s governance and financial/procurement procedures to ensure compliance with non-profit and BID legislation
- Coordinate with other City agencies on BID-related projects and issues
- Connect BIDs with other resources and organizations to help them best achieve results for the commercial districts they serve.
For an outline of what it means to operate a BID, please look through our BID Management Guide. Operating BIDs can also now take advantage of BID Challenge to access seed funding for projects that serve their neighborhoods in new and creative ways.
There are currently 67 BIDs across the five boroughs. To see where they are and to learn more about them, see our BID Directory.
For additional tools and resources to help start or run a BID, please visit the Neighborhood Development Resource Library.
