Dear Downtown Denver Property Owner,
BID Board of Directors
The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District (BID) represents 419 Downtown commercial property owners who invest in the vitality of Downtown Denver by funding, cleaning and maintenance services, safety initiatives and economic development and marketing programs. In this report, you will find details on the 2013 accomplishments and the BID’s priorities for 2014. The most notable are summarized below:
Josh Fine Chair Focus Property Group Dorit Fischer Vice Chair NAI Shames Makovsky Ed Blair Treasurer Mile High United Way
Josh Fine, BID Chair
In addition to its core responsibilities noted above, in 2013, the BID focused on: • Initiating the detailed design phase for 3.5 blocks of the 16th Street mall renovation project • Expanding the tree care services to a number of areas beyond the 16th Street Mall, and increasing the tree canopy throughout the district • Activating Skyline Park through a weekly summertime urban food and culinary-themed market, outdoor movies and games, in addition to upgrading the park’s electrical systems • Monitoring the efficiency and quality of district-wide maintenance services provided through the BID’s contractor, Block by Block • Activating the 16th Street Mall’s “Core Blocks” between Welton and Curtis by enhancing vending, installing the Garden Block between Curtis and Champa, and significantly increasing the number of movable tables and chairs For 2014, major new priorities include: • Continuing the enhancement and revitalization of the 16th Street Mall and its infrastructure • Revitalization of the BID maintenance program • Reprioritizing the BID Safety Program • Enhancing the Pedestrian and Bicycle Realm throughout the BID boundaries • Public Space Activation Thank you for your continued support of and investment in the BID. We encourage you to contact us with any questions or comments. Sincerely, BID Board of Directors
Susan Cantwell Secretary The Gart Companies
Accomplishments 2013
The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District (BID) is a public organization funded by private commercial property owners. The BID strives to provide a clean, safe and vibrant Downtown Denver environment for workers, residents and visitors. The BID boasts 419 properties and 890 property owners within the 120-block
Rick Kron Legal Advisor Spencer Fane & Grimshaw
area of the district, maintaining the 16th Street Mall and enhancing basic City
Josh Comfort Real Estate Development Services
Speer Boulevard to 20th Street, and from Wewatta Street to Grant Street.
Gina Guarascio Jones Lang LaSalle
By annual assessments paid to this quasi-governmental entity, BID property
Connie O’Murray Jones Lang LaSalle Tamara Door President and CEO Downtown Denver Partnership John Desmond Executive Director Downtown Denver Business Improvement District
services through its district-wide funding. The BID’s boundaries extend from
owners fund a series of district-wide programs that are critical to the vibrancy of our urban center and enhance Downtown Denver. Through maintenance and operations, safety initiatives, economic development, pedestrian environment enhancements, targeted visitor marketing and communications, as well as holiday events, lighting, and décor that attract thousands of visitors, the BID continues to ensure that Downtown Denver is a world-class destination with something for everyone.
The BID’s
Impact
In 2013 the BID focused on the priorities identified on page one and had many notable successes in its core priorities listed below: Maintenance and Operations:
• Provided daily oversight of Block by Block for round-the-clock maintenance of the 120 block district every day of the year. • Pulled 74,124 bags of trash, removed 14,903 graffiti tags and 1,559 bags of recyclables. • Developed maintenance zones for improved delivery of services by the clean and safe contractor. • Hired a seasonal Quality Control Inspector to increase inspection of services throughout the Business Improvement District and to report repair needs to outside agencies. • Expanded the Tree Health Program by extending services to BID businesses which provide tree care on private properties. The expanded program, “Elevate Your Trees” signed up 15 properties for participation with over 200 trees added to the program. The program was awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence for Best Downtown Management Program.
Safety Initiatives: • Provided improved coordination and scheduling of the off-duty police program, totaling 688 hours worked and 1,640 citations/arrests made in 2013. • Worked with St. Francis Center Outreach Workers and Denver Police to make appropriate and consistent contacts with homeless individuals and panhandlers. As a result, 6,954 contacts were made and 1,181 people obtained essential services. • Implemented a new uniform for the Downtown Ambassadors creating a stronger presence and created designated patrol zones to increase visitor contacts in high use areas. The Downtown Ambassadors made 245,637 contacts with visitors in 2013. • Convened monthly Downtown Outreach Committee meetings comprised of representatives of Downtown Denver Partnership staff, Denver Police Department officers, St Francis Outreach workers, and Downtown Ambassadors to develop a collaborative and strategic approach for managing quality of life and safety issues on the 16th Street Mall.
Economic Development: • Provided information to 18 companies considering relocation or expansion in Downtown. • Reached out to 22 companies occupying a total of just over 1 million square feet of office space whose leases were up for renewal; equivalent to approximately 4,000 employees.
Pedestrian and Bicycling Environment Enhancements:
• Worked with various partners including the City to install a dedicated bicycle lane on 15th Street. • Activated Skyline Park with seasonal programming and activities that included games, movies, miniature golf, and a weekly summertime urban food and culinary-themed market. • Expanded the Planter Program to include 200 planters on the 16th Street Mall and 350 Off-Mall Planters. • Activated the Mall through the Your Keys to the City Program which placed 10 hand-painted pianos of the Mall for public use. • Installed the Garden Block, located on 16th Street between Curtis and Champa, through a partnership between the BID and Denver Botanic Gardens, generously funded by the Bellco Credit Union and Colorado Garden Foundation. The block included installation of ecosystem gardens, special lighting and art displays, signage and tables and chairs. • Enhanced the Marketplace on the Mall Program by hosting over 90 special events and sampling experiences on the Mall that included 9 street fairs / arts and crafts shows, adding 3 experiential vendors to the program that provided interactive entertainment to the public, and successfully occupying all 3 BID owned Mall kiosks with quick serve food businesses in addition to the 18 seasonal or annual food vendors.
Targeted Visitor Marketing and Communications: • Promoted Downtown attractions and events and informed and engaged the general public, BID property owners and other stakeholders through multiple different channels and communication tools: The Only Downtown Denver electronic newsletter, Monthly Event Flyers and the Downtown Denver Map & Directories (390,000 printed and distributed on the Mall and in visitor centers), and monthly issues of the electronic BID Happenings publication.
Expenditures 2014 % 2013 % Categories Budget of Total Actual of Total Maintenance & Repair 2,481,317 37.7% 2,272,278 37.1% Management Services 889,481 13.5% 965,326 15.8% Safety 682,922 10.4% 660,726 10.8% Pedestrian Environment 730,880 11.1% 630,371 10.3% Special Projects 317,250 4.8% 150,634 2.5% Holiday 333,005 5.1% 288,065 4.7% Mall Vending 280,205 4.3% 268,585 4.4% Periodic Maintenance Expenses 205,746 3.1% 147,165 2.4% Skyline Park 193,046 2.9% 235,642 3.9% Marketing & Communications 184,152 2.8% 194,255 3.2% Research 145,726 2.2% 130,987 2.1% Economic Development Services 140,153 2.1% 116,398 1.9% Operating Reserve 765 0.0% 59,595 1.0% TOTAL EXPENDITURES $ 6,584,648 100.0% $ 6,120,026 100.0%
2013 BID Actual EXPENDITURES
Holidays: • Illuminated Downtown with thousands of LED lights along the 16th Street Mall, Skyline Park, California Street, Curtis and Larimer Streets. • Attracted visitors and drove business to hotels, retailers and restaurants through the Winter in the City campaign and events such as the Annual New Year’s Eve fireworks, co-sponsored by VISIT Denver and the BID and produced by the Downtown Denver Partnership.
Skyline Park 4% Periodic Maintenance Expenses 2% Mall Vending 4%
Marketing & Communications 3% Research 2%
Economic Development Services 2%
Holiday 5% Special Projects 3% Pedestrian Environment 10%
Maintenance & Repair 38%
Safety 11%
Management Services 16%