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Listen to this articleA Downtown Rochester Business Improvement District would drive new job creation, providing support for small and local businesses and entrepreneurs getting their start, and solidify downtown Rochester “as the region’s historic and innovative center of bustling community activity … [where] active street life will make all feel welcome and safe.” (A Vision for Downtown Rochester: https://partnershipfordowntown.org/) As Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans recently said, “We are so close to the day when downtown becomes the bustling live-work-play community that it can be, and a BID can help us get there.”
We are the proud co-chairs of the BID Formation Committee, a diverse group of community builders established to guide the process and proposal for a Downtown Rochester Business Improvement District. Over the last year and a half, we have been working diligently to gather community input, draft a proposal for what a Downtown Rochester BID could offer and how it would be run, and balance the many attributes and opportunities ahead for the very heart of our region.
Business Improvement Districts are nonprofits created when property owners pool resources to fund new programs and services in a given area. There are thousands around the world, and they exist all across New York state. A BID in the core of downtown Rochester would support and enhance the area with new funding (which would otherwise be unavailable without the creation of a BID), delivering new programs and services. This is an opportunity to realize the full potential of our downtown, the heart of our community, and do so in a way that is uniquely Rochesterian, lifting up the entire city and ensuring it is a place for everyone. As Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said, “Rochester is the heart of Monroe County and downtown is the heart of Rochester. Public input on the BID will help us create a downtown that’s not just a place on a map — but is a vibrant, thriving neighborhood where people, businesses and special events want to be.”
We know there has been some misinformation about this effort, but we want to make it very clear: the proposal for a Downtown Rochester BID is an effort for Rochester, by Rochester, and is one that is committed to guiding principles based on community input — to support a downtown that is community centered and accessible, welcoming and safe, equitable, vibrant, and vital. (https://partnershipfordowntown.org/press/a-vision-for-downtown-rochester) Community input has been received from more than 1,000 residents, workers, and visitors at over 35 events. With surveys, office hours, walkshops, pop-ups, community events, and go-to-you events at residential buildings, there has been a blizzard of community engagement to inform this process every step of the way.
From the release of the community-informed vision for downtown and guiding principles last summer, to the proposal for what services a Downtown Rochester BID could offer and how it would be run (or draft district plan) this work is and will continue to be based on community input and engagement. From the chorus of voices engaged thus far, one theme stood out above the rest: people want more from their downtown. They want more neighborhood serving retail and amenities, they want more programming, activation, and celebration of their downtown, and they want it to be greener and cleaner and with public spaces that are more welcoming, friendly, and safe for them to enjoy. A Downtown Rochester BID can ensure this happens.
BIDs are proven players in urban environments, making some of America’s most loved cities even better. A Downtown Rochester BID would apply to the heart of downtown and help boost activity and vibrancy with a variety of services, including free community programming in parks and public spaces; marketing and promotion of downtown amenities, cultural attractions, events, and small businesses; support for growth and greater revenues for small and local businesses and championing livability and smart growth practices for downtown to ensure a thriving, healthy, and inclusive downtown; on-street hospitality services to residents, workers, and visitors; as well as additive maintenance and beautification services.
Bar Bantam owner Max Gordon said: “As a business owner and Rochester native, I’m committed to growth. I appreciate and rely on the help from community entities to invest in making Rochester a destination where people want to be. A BID tailored to the needs of downtown Rochester will do just that and benefit everyone, not just business owners, but our patrons, visitors, workers, and fellow residents.”
We are proud that this effort is focused on community, on building our homegrown talent, and ensuring that Rochesterians have a downtown they love, enjoy, and will call home for generations to come. There are a wide variety of community leaders helping to support and guide this process forward, but none of it happens without the voice and input of the community. From the BID Formation Committee to the Partnership for Downtown Rochester board to the 1,000-plus people who have gotten involved and made their voices heard, we are excited for the promise of a downtown Rochester that is a place for everyone.
As fellow BID Formation Committee member and Urban League of Rochester President & CEO Dr. Seanelle Hawkins said: “I love downtown Rochester and believe our strength is our people. There is a lot to be thankful for and celebrate about downtown today, but there is also much more that our greater community needs to be able to thrive. I am proud to support a potential Downtown Rochester BID that will drive toward a thriving downtown — one which will directly enhance our downtown neighborhoods and set up future generations by addressing capacity challenges and fostering vibrancy and activity in an all-encompassing and balanced approach.”
State Sen. Jeremy Cooney and Gallina Development Corporation President Andy Gallina are BID Formation Committee Co-chairs.
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