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Businesses and property owners in the Capital Area and along Anaheim Avenue will continue to receive infrastructure maintenance, safety and other forms of support for years to come, following the City Council’s renewal of their respective business improvement districts Tuesday night.
The Downtown Long Beach Alliance and Midtown PBIDs have been renewed for 10 years after the City Council voted twice at its most recent meeting. Councilwoman Cindy Allen recused herself from the Downtown vote because she owns two properties within the BID’s boundaries.
BIDs get their money through property assessments, which means renovations must first be approved by a local landlord vote. The Midtown BID, which stretches from Anaheim Avenue to Raymond to Alamitos avenues, was not renewed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the end of its initial five-year contract, due to lack of support from its cash-strapped owners.
However, various services offered by the tender, such as street cleaning, sidewalk power washing and maintenance, are to be returned under a new contract from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2032.
“The Midtown PBID has been instrumental in building economic development in the area by providing a clean and safe neighborhood for businesses and residents,” said BID President Susanna Snieme at the council meeting. Throughout the outbreak, the organization has provided more than $72,000 in direct aid to local small businesses, she added.
The auction distributed 61 votes to owners along the corridor. Of these, 22 valid votes were counted, according to city employees, and 58.89% supported renewing the bid.
The property assessment will generate $159,000 in revenue for the Midtown BID in its first year, according to a staff report. The city’s assets will cover $22,500 next year, which is not currently budgeted.
The DLBA, meanwhile, has served downtown businesses and residents since 1998, and yesterday’s renovation included an expansion of its perimeter.
The northern boundary of Pacific Avenue corresponds to the boundary of Pine Avenue from Sixth to Eighth Streets. South of Ocean Boulevard, the boundary is expanding to include the waterfront south of Shoreline Drive. The new southern boundary includes sidewalks near the convention center on Pine Street and most of the Rainbow Harbor area—from the plaza near the Aquarium of the Pacific to the waterfront to Shoreline Village, which is not included in the update.
The bid renewal received more support from property owners than the Midtown BID. The organization distributed 3,245 ballots, and of the 877 valid returns, 78.83% supported renewal.
As part of the renovation, assessment fees were set to increase by an average of 34.5%. With the increase and additional assets, the assessment will generate more than $3.78 million in revenue for the companies, according to a staff report.
The city’s assessment portion for fiscal year 2023 is $785,156, according to city documents, an increase of about $181,000 to include the convention center facade. Of the total, $220,484 will be paid by Site Centers, which manages the Pike Outlaws property.
The staff report explains that the rest of the assessment will be paid by different city departments.
“Specific impacts at the department level are being assessed,” the report says.
There was no public comment on the DLBA renewal, but several business owners expressed their support for the council item. Speakers praised the Clean and Safe teams that patrol the area, cleaning sidewalks and providing support to residents and visitors.
John Tully, CEO of Pedal Movement, the city’s active transportation program, said First Street service has broken down six times in the past two years, including the bike share. Instead of eating the cost of repairs, Tully said, the DLBA was able to provide grant funding.
Denise Carter, who has lived in the Downtown area for more than 20 years and is a member of the DLBA, said events like Downtown Taste connect locals from all over the city with local businesses and keep the area vibrant.
For the past 15 years, Allison Cripp has owned and operated Forest Salon in Downtown. During public comment, Cripp, who works for the city’s homeless services, said that, among other things, the DLBA works with the city to provide services and outreach to homeless residents in the area.
“We’ve had the BID’s ultimate support since day one,” Cripp said of owning a downtown business. “We haven’t looked back – they’ve been through thick and thin.”
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