The proposal to form a BID in Rochester, NY, has powerful backers. Supporters include the mayor, county executive, property owners, business leaders, and the Partnership for Downtown Rochester.
In a November news conference, Rochester leaders called forming a BID a, “no-brainer.”
While that sounds straightforward enough, a group has formed to oppose the proposal. Its name is No BID Roc, and the group sees BIDs as a tool of gentrification and discrimination.
“A BID would give even more power to some of Rochester’s wealthiest property owners and businesses,” the group says.
The wave of resistance in Rochester reflects the new reality of forming a BID. During the last century, there was little push-back against BIDs, and more than 1,000 such districts emerged nationally. In this century, though, skepticism has spread widely enough that forming a new BID can be a fraught endeavor.
More on Rochester’s efforts to form a new BID appear in the March issue of Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter. Click below to learn more about Downtown Idea Exchange and other resources for revitalizing downtowns and commercial corridors.