PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia’s business improvement districts have a punch list for the city’s next mayoral administration, and it includes more help tackling quality-of-life issues.
The Philadelphia Business Improvement District (BID) Alliance, which was established in recent years, is a coalition of 16 business improvement districts across the city, representing 14,000 businesses.
“We’re all facing the same things as it relates to helping to keep our corridors clean, helping to keep our corridors safe,” said Shalimar Thomas, executive director of the North Broad Renaissance.
In a newly released a policy agenda, the group said it wants the next administration to ensure that a police officer in each district is dedicated to quality-of-life issues, like handling nuisance ATV drivers in residential and commercial areas.
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The Alliance also wants a seat on the mayoral transition committee; to assign an Office of Homeless Services representative to each commercial corridor; upgrades and maintenance of street lights; and a formal point person in the Managing Director’s Office to coordinate services, like scheduling trash pickups around peak business times.
“The best way to do that is to help identify a liaison to make sure that we’re connected to the various agencies that we need to work in partnership with,” Thomas added.
Matt Bergheiser, president of the University City District, said the Alliance is asking the city to meet businesses half way.
“Most of what we’re asking for here from the city is a bias toward action, toward breaking free from a ‘this is the way we’ve always done things’ mentality,” he said. “We’re asking for enhanced partnerships, where we’re bringing private resources to the table but needing those public resources to help us really elevate our collective impact.”
The Democratic primary for the Philadelphia mayor’s race is May 16.
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