Renovations to the Lisa Link Peace Park topped the list of accomplishments by the city’s Business Improvement District in 2009 at its meeting Tuesday evening.
BID is comprised of local property owners who pay a membership fee assessed by the staff that provides funding for the district’s programs.
The aim of BID is to increase the vitality and health of the district and promote business within it, Chairman Jeanette Riechers said.
“Every decision we make and every program we have should focus on the aim (of BID),” Riechers added.
Mary Carbine, executive director of BID, said the most important goal for this year is continuing the development of the upcoming visitor’s center to be located in the remodeled Peace Park.
“The visitor’s center is extremely important to the overall downtown economy and the overall experience of people downtown,” Carbine said. “It’s an area that really was in need of tender, loving care.”
Carbine said BID successfully advocated for the city to redevelop Peace Park in 2009, including establishing BID’s visitor center. The center will be run by the district’s Ambassador Program, which provides business information to visitors from seasonal booths around the capital square.
Although BID holds the visitor center to be important, BID member John Hutchinson said he is concerned there may not be enough resources to run the center optimally.
BID’s goal is to have the center open 365 days a year. Hutchinson said depending on how many employees are staffed, the amount of funding available could potentially be insufficient.
Another area of concern for BID was the Alcohol Licensing Density Plan. The district is currently advocating for amendments to the ordinance, but would first and foremost desire to see it sunset, or expire, this October, BID member Rick Petri said.
One amendment to ALDP that BID advocates is eliminating the 365-day rule, which requires property owners with alcohol licenses to find a new operator within a year if the space becomes vacant.
BID also wants to amend the ordinance’s language to be more flexible with exceptional circumstances, like entertainment businesses, and to allow for capacity increases in certain situations.
Other areas where BID is active are enhancing the Capitol Square streetscape, helping recruit funding for planters located around the district and further developing their ambassadors program.
“Our ambassadors program helped 32,500 people in 2009,” Carbine said.
She added the number increased from around 28,000 people helped the year before.
Reviewing the previous year, Carbine said BID accomplished many of its goals. She said the board heard loud and clear that its members like what the board is doing. Current members reauthorized BID for five more years by a vote of 75 percent this past August.
“We’re going to be around for a while,” BID member Maria Milsted said. “One of the most important things we can do is work to keep the BID healthy in the future.”
