A St. Louis City committee on Tuesday voted to advance a measure that would expand and extend an existing Community Improvement District on the 1100 block of Washington Avenue.

Alderman Aldridge introduced board bill 107, which seeks to amend the 2009 CID to add eight parcels, authorize an additional project budgeted at about $500,000 over several years and extend the district’s term from 2049 to 2053. "We filed a petition with the city register back on 09/18/2025," said attorney Robert Klar, who represents five of the six property owners behind the petition.

Klar told the committee the petition meets the statutory requirements of the Community Improvement District Act, is signed by 75% of property owners within the proposed expanded area and represents petitioners holding about 95% of the proposed district’s assessed valuation. He offered affidavits of publication and certified-mail receipts to document notice of the public hearing.

Craig Heller of Oliver Properties, which Klar said owns or affiliates most properties in the proposed expansion, described past private investment along the corridor and said the CID’s revenues would be used for marketing, small events and partnerships with restaurants and retailers — not to pay for improvements to Oliver Properties’ buildings. "None of these dollars that are collected by the SID will go into any of our buildings," Heller said.

During public comment Mr. Connolly said he was undecided and urged greater city representation on the CID board, suggesting appointments by the Board of Aldermen, the comptroller and the collector of revenue. He also asked whether a new blight study had been performed since the CID’s original 2009 blight determination.

Committee members pressed the petitioner on enforcement and overlap with other local taxing districts. Alderman Switzer asked how the 1% sales tax behaves given overlapping SIDs; Heller said the current estimate if the expansion passes would be about $60,000–$70,000 in the first year and that the $500,000 project would be collected over multiple years rather than annually. Questions also addressed prior maintenance of streetscape work and the TDD’s responsibilities; witnesses said a separate Transportation Development District retains some streetscape duties.

Vice Chair Saulnier moved a due-pass recommendation and the committee approved board bill 107 in committee with six aye votes and one member recorded as "present." The bill will move to the full Board of Aldermen for further consideration.

Authorities cited during the discussion included the Community Improvement District Act and the ordinance establishing the original district (Board of Aldermen ordinance 68436, adopted 07/27/2009) and a referenced Chapter 99 ordinance (60939).