Business Improvement Districts allow property owners in specific parts of the City to commit additional money and resources to services that will make their area a better place to operate a business.

An area that chooses to create a BID might, for example, commit extra revenue to cleaning sidewalks or hiring private security patrols.

'Downtown in December' featuring the
Civic Center skating rink is an
example of a marketing project made
possible by a Business Improvement
District.

BIDs can also create special marketing programs for their areas and host special events.

Oklahoma City has three Business Improvement Districts: Downtown, Stockyards City and Western Avenue.

Creating a BID

City Council makes the final decision about creating a BID, but there are months of preparation involved before a proposal goes on the Council agenda.

There are state laws regarding Business Improvement Districts which business owners must be familiar with before trying to create a BID. They can be found in Oklahoma Statute Title 11, §39-112.

The Planning Department can help businesses with the rest of the preparation.

Creating a BID also involves two public hearings. The first hearing will give property owners who will be in the proposed district a chance to say whether they want the district or not. The second hearing gives property owners a chance to discuss how much each will pay to fund the district's activities.

After approval of the BID by the City Council, the City will begin collecting the district assessments from its businesses.

To find out more about creating a Business Improvement District call 405 297-2579.