Tacoma committee hears opposition and questions on proposed Hilltop Business Improvement Area

The Tacoma Economic Development Committee spent its Sept. 9 meeting focused on a proposed Hilltop Business Improvement Area (BIA) after residents and business owners urged greater transparency and protections for renters and legacy businesses.

The BIA proposal presented by consultant Andres Mantilla of Uncommon Bridges would cover about 506 parcels and an estimated 212 ratepayers, with a proposed first-year budget of $604,000. "We're looking in Hilltop about 506 parcels. That's about 212 rate payers for a budget of $604,000," Mantilla told the committee as he summarized community outreach and the draft business plan.

The proposal would assess property owners, not tenants, using a value-based formula with two residential ceilings: a market-rate residential ceiling of $65 per unit per year and a subsidized-residential ceiling of $30 per unit per year. Mantilla said the team was working with the city to identify which buildings qualify as subsidized housing and that a 12-year MFTE (multi-family tax exemption) property would not be counted as subsidized under the proposed approach.

Why it matters: supporters say a BIA can provide steady, local funding for cleaning, safety, marketing and small-business support; opponents warn it can accelerate rent increases and displacement if assessments…