Broadway merchants look to establish business improvement district – Washington Park Profile

The area colloquially known as “South Broadway” has gone through many transformations over the years, yet it continues to be able to offer that specific liveliness that Denver wouldn’t be the same without. 

That’s where the Broadway Merchants Association (BMA) and its supporters come in.

People on behalf of the BMA recently filed an application with the city of Denver to create a 1.7-mile corridor that would be a business improvement district (BID), which would have businesses in the area pay into a fund that would establish more security presence, make improvements and help with promotions. Only properties within the BID would be subjected to the costs. 

More than 260 businesses and 176 commercial properties would be included in the BID, if it is approved by the city.

The district would impose a mill, the amount of which will be determined later, among the businesses based on their assessed value and in return the businesses would get more security, money for maintenance, marketing and advertising, as well as operational funding. The mill submitted to the city was at 21, or $21 for every $1,000 of the assessed property value. 

The next step, coming in the next couple months, is to petition the businesses on whether they’d like to establish a BID, and then that would initiate the city council process on whether to approve the special district. The BID proposal would need majority support.  

The BMA and proponents for the BID submitted a preliminary operating budget of just over $2 million to the council, but Luke Johnson, president of the BMA, said that number is expected to drop as the association continues to determine its needs.

“The plan is to take this up again right after the first of the year and try to deal with some different issues and resolve it,” said William Feinberg, vice president of the BMA. “We’re trying to be as transparent as possible and have as much input from the people that it affects as possible.”

From an open records request with the city, Colorado Community Media obtained the application and complementary information about the Broadway BID. 

“It is common for any entity submitting a BID application to further revise their submitted documents before they are presented to city council for its consideration as a part of the creation ordinance process,” stated Josh Rosenblum, the communications specialist for the Denver Department of Finance. “That is likely to be the case in this instance as well.”

Rosenblum said the petition, if all goes according to plan, is likely to be submitted in the spring. A city council committee meeting could then take place April 30 with a following public hearing on May 19. These dates are very likely subject to change, depending on when the petition is submitted. 

Why a BID? 

The BMA is a Registered Neighborhood Organization that oversees the operations of the current district. But the leadership of the organization said they wanted something more robust. 

“This is something that’s been discussed and worked on over the years and it grew out of the BMA and it’s volunteer and has very limited capacity in terms of what it can really do, and a lot of the merchants who are members felt if we had something that was more structured and organized, and had more money, we could do more to promote the bars and different businesses and that was the motivation,” said William Feinberg, vice president of the BMA.  

Public safety is one of the highest priorities for the Broadway Business Improvement Distict proposal, as it is slated to have the largest portion of the preliminary budget submitted by the BMA. Feinberg said there is a dearth of security in the corridor, except for businesses that pay for it on their own dime. 

“Some property owners on individual properties have taken that step, but it’s not very efficient,” Feinberg said, adding that crime will just overflow to the next location if they don’t have congruent security. 

“The big thing really is that we want to create an environment,” Feinberg continued. “ We want an environment that is family-friendly and a place where they’ll come to participate in the unique and one-of-a-kind retail and food and entertainment establishments.” 

Johnson echoed Feinberg’s sentiments by pointing to the expectations he has heard from his constituents. 

“The community is asking for around-the-clock security,” Johnson said. “The community is asking for maintenance from 6th (Avenue) to I-25. The last thing we want is for this to be a burden on people, right? The whole goal is to make the street better and to make it more viable for, obviously, businesses but also the residents and the community.” 

The final cost to each of the businesses will be determined through the city council process. 

“The (Broadway Business Improvement District) represents a bold step toward revitalizing Broadway, creating a vibrant, safe, and prosperous district that serves both businesses and the surrounding community,” the BMA stated in its presentation materials. “Through targeted initiatives in public safety, marketing, maintenance, and branding, the BBID is designed to foster economic stability, enhance the area’s visual appeal, and solidify Broadway’s identity as a destination for locals and visitors alike. Supported by a well-planned budget and the active engagement of local stakeholders, the BBID aims to meet current challenges head-on, while laying the groundwork for sustained growth.”

Businesses that do not want to be included in the BID can ask the city to exclude them. Johnson said he’s hopeful that doesn’t happen, as it could create spots in the overall corridor to not be covered.

The BID would have its own board of directors, which is also to be determined at a later date.

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