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Downtown Ithaca BID Business Improvement District Opportunity in Johnson City An Informational Guide Prepared for the Village of Johnson City and Broome County, NY About the Guide This informational guide was developed as part of the Endicott-Johnson Brownfield Opportunity Area project and provides a Prepared by Bergmann Associates and Sustainable Planning Design detailed introduction to Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). It is based on a presentation to property owners, business owners and community stakeholders conducted on January 20, 2021. BIDs are an implementation tool that is available property owners, CONTENTS tenants and community stakeholders to improve their business 1. Introduction to BIDs 3 district. They serve as the foundation to an organizational 2. Comparable Case Studies 11 structure that works to provide improvements and services within a designated area. Village property owners, tenants and community 3. Steps to Creating a BID 18 stakeholders are invited to use this guide to learn more about how 4. Feasibility in Johnson City 20 BIDs function and to begin a discussion about the formation of a 5. Summary of Initial Input 25 BID in Johnson City’s downtown area. This brochure was prepared for Broome County and the New York State Department of State with state funds provided through the Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) Program. 1 CHAPTER 1 Village of Johnson City WHERE DOESJohnson IT APPLY? City Downtown Area REFERENCE MAP The downtown area of the Village of Johnson City is located west of Located in the heart of Broome In 2010, the EJ-BOA Study Area County, the Villagethe of JohnsonCity of Binghamton City was along officially the Main designated Street commercialas a BOA, corridor. is approximately 4 1/2 square miles. giving the Village priority access It lies in the centerThis of the area Triple has seen significantto technical recent resources, investment grant from Binghamton Cities, with Binghamton two miles preference and enabling the Village to its east and EndicottUniversity, six miles the Goodwillbecome Theatre, more and attractive UHS Wilson for private Medical Center. to its west. The Village of Johnson investment. The EJ-BOA Study City has generatedIn significant addition, the area isArea part encompassesof several programs approximately and designations, momentum, as evidenced 0.4 square miles, and is comprised by a number of communitysuch as: of a number of vacant former development and revitalization manufacturing plants which area programs. essential to re-activating the area. • Endicott-Johnson Brownfield Opportunity Area (EJ-BOA), Recent investments have been concentrated in the southerna designation thatJOHNSON makes the CITY area IDISTRICT more attractive for private portion of the Village, found around TOWN OF UNION investment. Developed as part of its strategy its historic downtown district (the to “Build the Greater Binghamton Johnson City Historic District), Innovation System”, the Southern the Endicott-Johnson• BrownfieldJohnson City i-District, one of three innovation districts Tier Regional Economic Opportunity Area, the Johnson that are part of State’sDevelopment Upstate Council Revitalization established Initiative (URI) City iDistrict, a HUBZone, and an three iDistricts in the City of Opportunity Zone. Theseto transformprograms i-Districts into vibrant centers of commerce, Binghamton, Village of Endicott 17 all have a common goal of spurring innovation, and sharedand Village community of Johnson spaces. City (also investment, and ultimately aim known as the Triple Cities). to transform the Village into an attractive and innovative• Johnson City Historic District, a designated district on the 201 MAIN ST An iDistrict, short for Innovation community to live, work and play. National and StateDistrict, Registers is a geographic of Historic areaPlaces. where cutting-edge, high-tech anchor ENDICOTT-JOHNSON CORLISS AVE institutions and companies cluster INDUSTRIAL SPINE• BROWNFIELDHistorically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone), and connect with startups, business OPPORTUNITY AREA (EJ-BOA) Census Track 139incubators, and 140 are and part accelerators. of this Small The Business Johnson City iDistrict encompass FLORAL AVE The Department of State’sAdministration BOA (SBA) program that helps small businesses gain TOWN OF VESTAL program provides communities 283 acres, and is anchored by the with guidance, expertisepreferential and accessSouthern to federal Tier procurement Health Sciences opportunities. CITY OF BINGHAMTON financial assistance to complete and Technology Innovation Village of Johnson City revitalization strategies for Park. • Opportunity Zone, Census Track 139 is part of this federal EJ-BOA neighborhoods or areas affected by brownfields or economicprogram distress. that encourages private investment in low-income Johnson City iDistrict communities. Johnson City Historic District Census Tract 139 Census Tract 140 These investments, initiatives and designations help to position the 4 Johnson City Historic downtownPreservation Guidebookarea for continued investment momentum. Johnson City Historic Preservation Guidebook 5 2 1. Introduction to BIDs Key to successfully forming a Business Improvement District is community support. To build this support there needs to be a clear understanding of what a BID is and what it can provide. This chapter details what it means to be a Business Improvement District. A BID Definition The New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), which oversees and supports all BIDs in NYC, states: “A Business Improvement District (BID) is a geographical area where local stakeholders oversee and fund the maintenance, improvement and promotion of their commercial district.”1 1 www1.nyc.gov/site/sbs/neighborhoods/bids.page 3 Key Features Elaborating on the definition of a BID, there are three important features that characterize Business Improvement Districts: that they are funded, they have a board of directors and they apply to a designated area. Funded Organization Board of Directors Designated Boundary Î A special assessment, or Î A BID is managed by Î A BID has a designated BID Assessment, on property a Board of Directors boundary that is determined owners within the district composed of representatives as part of the formation of the provides a sustainable- of owners and tenants within district. funding source for the district. improvements and services within the district. 4 Where are BIDs Used? Property Owner Support The use of Business Improvement Districts began in 1970 in the As part of the notice and hearing process, the district will not be City of Toronto, Canada. Since then, BIDs have been used in established if there are objections from either: communities across the globe. According to the International Î Downtown Association there are over 4,000 place management 51% of the assessed valuation of all the taxable real property within the District organizations, often called Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), globally.1 In the United States there are over 1,000 BIDs2 and in OR New York City alone there are 76 BIDs.3 In New York State they Î 51% of the property owners in the District. are in a variety of communities, including: Elmira, Troy, Albany, Buffalo, Hornell, Ithaca, Geneva, Auburn, Scotia, Glens Falls, With this legislation, ensuring that there is property owner support Canandaigua, Poughkeepsie, Syracuse, and Corning. is an imperative to BID formation. State Legislation The authority to establish a BID is granted through state-level enabling legislation.4 In New York State, Article 19-A of the General Municipal Law (GMU) provides the ability to create a BID. This legislation includes requirements such as: » A District Plan with specific contents » A District Management Association » A review by the State Comptroller In addition, Article 19-A identifies specific regulations for BIDs, such as: » Tax and debt limitations » Local legislative powers 1 https://downtown.org/about-the-industry/ 2 www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/fact_sheets/value_cap_bid.aspx 3 www1.nyc.gov/site/sbs/neighborhoods/bids.page 4 www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/fact_sheets/value_cap_bid.aspx The New York State Senate website: nysenate.gov 5 BID Improvements & Services BIDs in New York State have the authority to provide a variety of improvements and services within the district, which generally include the following four types: Operation and Maintenance of 1 District Improvements 2 District Improvements Construction or installation of improvements on or within Ongoing operation and maintenance of a district improvements is municipally or district owned or leased property that will restore or a key service that BIDs can provide. For example, a municipality promote business activity within the district. Such as: may construct or install a district improvement, such as a park, and » Beautification Improvements (e.g. landscaping) a BID may provide the ongoing operation and maintenance. » Streetscape Improvements » Safety Improvements » Parking Lots or Parking Garage Facilities 6 Spring Street Park Hudson Square BID, NYC Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District StreetLab.org https://www.mplsdid.com/ / Rochestersubway.com Services provided by a BID are in addition to existing municipal services, they do not replace municipal services. Additional Maintenance or Other 3 4 Accessibility Improvements Additional Services Supplemental services that a BID may provide include: Increasing access for all from public areas to adjacent businesses » Enhanced Sanitation Services within the district.
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