A bid for a 5th Avenue BID got stronger last night after receiving unanimous support from members of CB6′s economic/waterfront development committee. The Park Slope 5th Avenue BID—which is set to include the blocks between Dean and 18th streets—would tax the strip’s 600 or so commercial property owners around $500 each (a fee that’d mostly be passed along to the landlords’ retail tenants), thus giving the BID about $300,000 to play with every year. The bulk of that dough would go to promoting and maintaining the avenue, with an emphasis on improving sanitation services. The business improvement district would be the third formed in Community Board 6 (after the ones for Flatbush and Smith Street), and it’s been influenced by Sunset Park’s BID. Irene LoRe, co-owner of Aunt Suzie’s Restaurant and one of the BID’s chief architects, noted that BIDs get better service from the city because they have someone yelling for them. The proposal still needs to be OK’d by the full community board and various powers that be in city government (including the Council and mayor’s office), but it could be formed as early as next summer. Seems to us like a great way to make a thriving commercial stretch even better, and it’s difficult to see any downsides to the plan. Anything we’re missing?
Photo by Betty Blade