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City and property owners begin push to form Washington Square business improvement district
Summary
Economic development staff and property owners discussed forming a Washington Square BID to fund maintenance of medians and common areas after a prior business owners association dissolved; formation requires owners representing at least 50% of assessed value to sign a petition.
City economic development staff described outreach to Washington Square property owners and a draft timeline for forming a Business Improvement District (BID) to fund and manage maintenance of medians and common areas after a previous business owners association dissolved.
Staff said they mailed notices to about 156 commercial property owners inside draft BID boundaries (I‑25 to the west, E. 120th Avenue to the north, Washington Street to the east and E. 112th/120th to the south) and held an informational meeting with roughly 20–25 owners. Property owners expressed general support for a BID to provide equitable funding and to avoid the previous arrangement in which only a few owners covered most costs. Staff said the BID would be equitable because assessments are proportionate to assessed value and that the BID board — made up of property owners or their representatives — would prepare an annual operating plan and budget for council approval.
Staff said formation requires signatures from owners representing at least 50% of the assessed value in the proposed district; Butler Snow (a law firm) is assisting in petitioning owners. If council supports moving forward, staff said they will pursue petitions and, if sufficient support is received, present an ordinance for first reading before Sept. 30 (the statutory cutoff for this calendar year) or defer to 2026 if that deadline is missed.
Staff provided a rough cost estimate for maintenance that, they said, would amount to less than $1,000 per property owner per year for basic maintenance; staff emphasized the BID can later fund additional services (lighting, signage, safety improvements) if members choose. Council members asked several clarifying questions about assessment calculations, exclusions for properties with minimal benefit, and how the board would operate; staff said the BID includes a legal process for exclusion requests and that council would appoint an initial operating board and approve annual budgets.
Staff will continue owner outreach and, if directed, initiate petitioning; council requested that staff field questions and provide follow‑up information to property owners.
