Voting open for North Williamsburg Business Improvement District
Ballots are being mailed this week for the proposed North Williamsburg Business Improvement District, or BID.
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Residents, property owners and business owners in North Williamsburg are being asked to weigh in on a proposal to form a Business Improvement District.
Ballots are being mailed this week for the proposed North Williamsburg Business Improvement District, or BID.
It would fund services like additional trash pickup, snow removal, sidewalk sweeping and power washing in the area.
“This community has been dealing with rapid growth over the last several decades, and unfortunately the city’s services haven’t kept pace with that amount of density,” said Katie Denny Horowitz, executive director of the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, which is helping lead the effort.
The proposed district would roughly span from North 15th Street to Grand Street, and from the East River to Bedford Avenue, covering several major commercial corridors.
If approved, property owners in the district would pay a fee used to fund the additional services. Higher-value properties, such as luxury retail stores, would pay more, while smaller businesses would pay less.
“The way the formula has been set up is really to ensure that the more profit you’re making off of this neighborhood, the more you’re paying into supporting services in the neighborhood,” Horowitz said.
The proposal has drawn mixed reactions from local business owners.
Some say they are already stretched thin by high rents.
Others believe the additional services and support could help businesses survive, as many smaller businesses are forced out of the neighborhood.
Council Member Lincoln Restler, who represents the area, said the BID model has worked in other parts of the city.
“Quite simply, the city has not kept pace,” Restler said. “A business improvement district is an evidence-based, proven model that really works.”
Creating a BID is a lengthy process that requires a majority vote from stakeholders, along with public hearings and city legislation. It could take several years before the district becomes a reality.
