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Board committee backs resolution to renew and expand Greater Union Square BID
Summary
The City’s Government Audit & Oversight Committee recommended a resolution of intent to renew and expand the Union Square Business Improvement District to a new 10‑year term and enlarge its boundaries from about 10 to 25 blocks, sending the measure to the full Board for the ballot stage after widespread business and neighborhood support.
Supervisor Carmen Chu brought forward a resolution of intent to renew and expand the Union Square Business Improvement District, asking the committee to allow the property‑owner petition to move to the ballot stage.
The mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, represented by project manager Lisa Pagan, told the committee the proposal would increase the district roughly 2.5 times and triple the BID’s budget while holding the existing assessment rate. Pagan said the expanded BID would provide the same assessment rate but “double the amount of services each property owner will receive,” listing cleaning, safety, streetscape beautification, marketing, promotions and special events as expected services.
Karen Ecklund, the consultant who led outreach for the expansion, described surveys, hoteliers’ meetings and a month‑long petition drive that she said produced substantial petition returns. Speakers from the Union Square Association and numerous downtown property owners and hoteliers said they supported renewal and expansion, citing improvements in safety, litter control and visitor experience since the BID’s formation.
Public commenters broadly backed the measure, including representatives from Macy’s, Westfield San Francisco Center, the Grand Hyatt and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, who emphasized benefits to tourism and downtown commerce. Several speakers offered specific anecdotes about ambassadors and BID staff intervening in incidents and helping visitors; the Union Square Association’s Linda Magellan cited a recent community meeting after a high‑profile robbery as an example of the BID partnership in action.
One hotel owner, representing the Park 55 Hotel, opposed extending the boundary to his far southwest corner, saying the added assessment would cost his property more than $60,000 annually and likely force layoffs. Chair Chu and other supervisors acknowledged that opposition but said testimony overall was strongly supportive.
After a brief committee discussion the chair entertained a motion and the committee approved the resolution of intent to renew and expand the Greater Union Square BID, moving the proposal forward as a committee report to the full Board. The resolution will enable the BID campaign to proceed to a mailed ballot for affected property owners under the city’s BID formation rules.
What’s next: The item moves to the full Board as a committee report; if approved there the ballot mailing and subsequent 45‑day property‑owner voting period would follow.
