Galin Brooks, Op-Ed Democrat & Chronicle

Since 2000, the downtown Rochester residential population has increased more than five-fold, from 1,500 to 8,500 residents.

Many former commercial buildings on the brink of abandonment were repurposed and given new life with residential units inside. The same downtown that many felt was beyond saving has made remarkable strides.

Today, the Strong National Museum of Play is undergoing a 90,000-squarefoot expansion, Constellation Brands has begun work on their new downtown headquarters and ROC the Riverway continues to build an unprecedented system of riverfront parks and public spaces that will reconnect residents, workers, and visitors to their waterfront.

Yet, there is work still to be done. While several fabulous festivals bring thousands of people from across the region and from all walks of life down to enjoy the heart of the greater Rochester region, on an average day most visitors will find deserted sidewalks, vacant lots and unkept public spaces. The hum of a vibrant urban center is often missing in the once magnetic, beautiful and bustling heart of Rochester.

A Business Improvement District (BID) can help to bring that energy and life back to the downtown core. It can also help to provide day-to-day management and activation of the new downtown ROC the Riverway parks and public spaces.

With time-tested and successful practices that include involvement and buy-in from property owners, residents, and business owners alike, a BID brings the tools necessary to help reignite and recreate a place of connection, innovation and engagement that offers something for everyone to enjoy.

BIDs are formed when the majority of property owners in a given area choose to pitch in and pool resources to fund new programs and services that stakeholders want - and that cashstrapped cities are often unable to fund. At their most basic, BIDs focus on making places more inviting, more dynamic, and more utilized, in addition to supporting a cleaner and safer environment for everyone to enjoy.

BIDs have been praised nationwide for helping to make the areas they serve well-loved places to live, work, and visit. More and more in recent years, they have also taken on roles in the day-today management and activation of urban parks spaces. As a key community resource, the vitality, condition, and activation of park spaces are an essential component of well-loved neighborhoods.

For downtown, the ROC the Riverway effort is bringing a phenomenal system of parks, trails, and revitalized spaces to the Genesee riverfront. A management entity like a BID can help ensure that this vision is fully brought to life, with spaces that are well-cared for, welcoming, active, and engaging.

Business Improvement Districts are not a new concept. They began in 1970, with the first in Toronto, and were born as a response to the disinvestment that was occurring in the urban core in the face of the rising popularity of the suburban mall. There are over 1,200

throughout the United States, and interestingly, of the top five largest cities in New York state, Rochester is the only one without a BID serving its downtown core. (Notably, however, the High Falls Business Improvement District does already exist within the city of Rochester.)

BIDs are not created outside public scrutiny - rather, as public private partnerships, they are public- facing and rely on community feedback to meet the needs of the area they serve. In New York state, there is a lengthy and intensive process to create a BID. It is dependent on stakeholder feedback and support and involves the development of a district plan. The district plan identifies a BID's activities and initiatives, boundaries, assessment formula, and governance structure (representation by elected officials, property owners, tenants and residents is required).

Once this is drafted, several votes are required by the city council, along with a public hearing, any necessary revisions, and eventual review by the state comptroller. Final formation and governance of the BID is defined by New York state law, and the BID is subject to both the Freedom of Information Law and Open Meetings Law and regular review and renewal of its contract with the local municipality. Indeed, the High Falls BID in Rochester has been in existence since 2004 and has its budget, assessment schedule, and agreement with the city of Rochester reviewed by the city council each year.

BIDs are also uniquely positioned to work with, convene, and connect existing organizations and entities to each other and resources. For example, a potential BID for downtown Rochester will not have any role in existing arts funding but can connect arts organizations and artists with new resources and help to initiate new projects. With community engagement and stakeholder feedback a BID may determine that there is a need to provide additive funding specifically for a particular public art project. However, these project(s) would be funded by net new dollars made possible by the creation of a BID.

For the first time, today, there is public and private sector alignment in support for a BID in downtown Rochester. The Rochester Downtown Partnership has been formed to produce BID-like programs in downtown and oversee the BID formation effort. It is due to the leadership of elected officials like Mayor Evans, County Executive Bello and Gov. Hochul that this effort is able to even get started. There is a sense that, with the right tools in place, there is a moment of opportunity now to reignite the magnetic and bustling heart of Rochester.

The process for a potential BID for downtown Rochester is just beginning. It will take years, during which time input from the local community is essential to reaching the overarching goal of making downtown a better place to live, work and visit for all. Community members, property owners, tenants, residents, and other stakeholders are encouraged to attend future public meetings ( details coming soon), respond to community surveys, and to share their input, thoughts and feedback.

In the meantime, please email us to stay up to date on the process or share your initial thoughts: rddc@rddc.org.

Galin Brooks is the president and CEO of the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation and executive director of the Rochester Downtown Partnership.