Northside Improvement District
Formation Timeline

North Brooklyn is the only neighborhood in New York City that boasts robust commercial activity but has no Business Improvement District to support its quality of life.

Through a BID formation, a neighborhood collectively funds improvements like sanitation, beautification, and public safety, to ensure a well-maintained, vibrant district that helps businesses and residents alike. The Northside Improvement District Formation Effort is led by a Steering Committee made up of an array of Northside stakeholders — including property and business owners, civic leaders, and residents — and is facilitated by the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, which has been maintaining and championing our local parks and open spaces for more than 20 years, and is lending staff time and expertise to the BID formation effort.

BID formation is a democratic process overseen by NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) in which commercial and residential property owners and tenants within the BID geography vote on whether to form the BID. By law a Support Ballot must be mailed to every property. Voting can also be completed online. Voting will likely begin in the fall of 2025.

HERE’S WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS:

  • Oct 2023 - March 2024

    We put out a call for neighbors to join a Steering Committee — local stakeholders including property owners, commercial tenants, and district residents — to oversee the BID formation process.

  • Dec 2023 - present

    The Steering Committee designed and launched a Needs Assessment Survey, which was distributed throughout the district from Dec 2023 to May 2024 to help determine what kinds of services will be provided by the BID, based on community response. Nearly 1,000 stakeholders responded during months of digital and in-person outreach, and the Steering Committee used their feedback to develop a District Plan.

  • Sept 2024-Sept 2025

    Leveraging responses from the Needs Assessment and ongoing outreach, the Steering Committee makes four key decisions about the prospective BID: the geography, services, total assessment, and assessment formula. These decisions are the foundation of the District Plan, which is shared on the Ballot.

  • Oct 2025 - Present

    Now that the proposal is finalized, the Ballot has been released and will continue to be circulated to stakeholders within the proposed BID geography with the intention of collecting a majority of stakeholder support. The petition includes the proposed District Plan (e.g., boundaries, services, assessment, and formula), and all property owners, business owners, and residents are encouraged to voice their opinions by signing.

    If you haven’t heard about the ballot yet, don’t worry! We are constantly spreading it as far as we can, and there is no deadline to sign!

What we’ve heard.

  • “The BID helps keep our streets clean and engages with the local community to organize events. They also keep businesses informed on the City’s regulatory changes and are a crucial support system that advocates on our behalf.”

    — Evan Franca, Brooklyn Crepe + Juice, North Flatbush Avenue BID Member

  • "The BID has been like having a business partner without actually having a business partner... They've helped me in nearly every aspect of building, sustaining & growing my business over 15 years. As a sole owner, it's been life changing to have the BID in my corner."

    — Elissa Olin @ Green in BKLYN, Myrtle Avenue BID Member

  • “Owning multiple businesses in, and being resident of Williamsburg, the importance of a BID is paramount to a successfully community.”

    — Lord Raffaello Angelo Van Couten, Owner, Dolly’s, X-Golf, Co-Chair BABAR