We thank the community for your overwhelming support for a Chinatown BID:

我們很充實的感謝您對保持這個地區清潔和安全的熱列支持。

Daily News (11/2010)

The China Press (9/2010)

Epoch Times (6/2010)

Sing Tao Daily (12/09)

World Journal

Please visit the updated Chinatown Business Improvement District (BID) website for facts, Testimonials and Case Studies to learn why communities, domestic and international, eagerly form their own district management associations to advocate for themselves:

How Do We Keep These Services Going?

With the support of government organizations and foundations, and with the guidance of the Chinatown community, the Chinatown Partnership has been able to implement some very effective programs. Clean Streets has been alleviating perhaps the most-cited problem in Chinatown over the years. World-class events like Taste of Chinatown and marketing programs like Explore Chinatown attract millions of visitors and increase revenues for our community.

But neighborhoods are measured by longevity. What good are these programs if they cannot be sustained? For example, if Clean Streets went away, and Chinatown reverted to its former condition, the program’s legacy might be mainly as a bitter reminder of what could have been.

Unfortunately, the danger of this happening is very real, as these programs are currently funded by grants that will run out by 2009. Previous attempts to sustain similar programs have not been successful.

Fortunately, there is a solution, which is to create a Business Improvement District (BID). A BID is an organization formed to carry out the very activities mentioned above. There are currently 55 BIDs in New York City, as well as BIDs all across North America and around the world.

BIDs are being implemented all around the city and around the world for good reason. They work. With the groundwork established by Clean Streets and other programs, the Chinatown community now has a great opportunity to take responsibility for their neighborhood by stepping up and forming a BID.

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A Business Improvement District for Chinatown

What is a Business improvement district?

A Business Improvement District (BID) is an organization formed by property and business owners to improve and maintain a commercial district, by providing services such as cleaning, graffiti removal, marketing and streetscape improvements. These services supplement existing city services and are too costly to be purchased by individuals.

Why a BID?

The programs and improvements you’ve seen in Chinatown, including Clean Streets, Explore Chinatown, Taste of Chinatown, Lunar Stages and more, are temporarily funded by grants from government and foundations. A BID is the only way to fund Clean Streets—sidewalk cleaning, power washing and graffiti removal—and other programs. Improving Chinatown attracts more visitors and more customers to local businesses and makes the neighborhood a better place to live, work and play.

How Are BIDS Funded and Managed?

BIDs are funded through an assessment on property owners, who have agreed to pay for a range of improvement services determined by the BID board. Some landlords may choose to pass along the cost to their commercial tenants. Landlords may not pass along the cost of the assessment to residential tenants. All commercial and mixed use properties are assessed but residential buildings are not. The board is comprised of property owners, business owners and other community representatives, all of whom have a stake in the proposed BID. The majority of board members must be property owners and commercial tenants.

The Cost of a BID

The BID’s board is responsible for developing the budget and determining the rate of assessment needed to fund the services provided by the BID. We have estimated that property owners would pay an assessment of approximately 3 to 5% of their annual property taxes in order to pay for the services currently provided by the Chinatown Partnership.

The Cost of Not Doing a BID

For Chinatown, the improvements created by a BID would help ensure the neighborhood’s economic viability, keeping it competitive with adjacent neighborhoods and maintaining property values. Without a BID, Clean Streets and other programs will end by 2010, most likely causing many of the problems that have plagued Chinatown in the past to return.

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8 Things You Should Know About a BID in Chinatown

In an effort to educate the public about what a BID is and is not, the Chinatown Partnership created this card for distribution to Chinatown businesses, property owners and residents.

1   74% of property owners will only pay $1,000 or less annnually or $2.79 per day 2 A Chinatown BID will be run by a board of local property owners and commercial tenants who determine the cost and scope of all programs and services 3 Residents will not pay anything 4 A Chinatown BID can provide 7 days a week sanitation service — sidewalk cleaning, power washing and graffiti removal 5 A Chinatown BID is more than cleaning streets — it can provide marketing and special events and advocate for a fair share of government services 6 There are 64 BIDs in NYC.  BIDs surround Chinatown 7 Making Chinatown nicer will attract more customers to local businesses 8 Without a BID, Clean Streets and other programs will end by 20109

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Why Chinatown Needs a Business Improvement District David J. Louie, President, David J. Louie, Inc. Business Improvement Districts in other parts of the city have proven to be very successful, and it’s my opinion that a BID would be equally successful for the Chinese community. You can see what it’s done for Grand Central, SoHo and other neighborhoods. It’s time for the Chinese community to realize the importance of a BID and the positive potential that it brings. We’ve existed without a BID in Chinatown for many, many years, but how successful have we been without a BID? The benefits of having a BID outweigh the costs.

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Clean Streets Update

As we reported in our last newsletter, the Clean Streets program bagged over two million pounds of trash for removal in its first six months. But Clean Streets is much more than litter removal. Beginning in the second week of July, the Chinatown Partnership began the systematic removal of graffiti and stickers from surfaces throughout Chinatown. Between scraping stickers off storefronts and painting over doorways, we are also negotiating with the city for help with the larger surfaces, including roll-up gates and building sides. Two million pounds of litter leaves a lot of gunk! That’s why we’ve implemented power washing on a regular basis, mornings between 6:45 and 10:30, after trash is hauled away and before most shops open and foot traffic becomes too dense. We’re already on our third power washing of Canal Street. Streets where you may have noticed a difference include: Bayard from Baxter to Bowery Mott from Canal to Bowery East Broadway from Market to Catherine Canal from Lafayette to Bowery Baxter from Bayard to Hester Streetlight banners celebrating the work of our Clean Streets crew and Chinatown as a great place to live, work and play can now be found all over the neighborhood. Businesses have shown their civic pride by sponsoring some banners. For information on how you can sponsor a banner, please call 212.346.9288 or email info@chinatownpartnership.org.

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What You Didn’t Know About Chinatown The Doyers Street/Chatham Square Tunnel You may know Doyers Street, the tiny, unique street with a 90-degree turn that runs between Pell Street and Chatham Square. But did you know about the “secret” tunnel that runs underground from Doyers Street to Chatham Square? The tunnel dates from the time, early in the last century, when Chatham Square, not Times Square, was the entertainment center of the city, and the tunnel connected to the old Chinese Opera House at 5 Doyers Street. Today the tunnel houses local businesses. Look for the entrance on Doyers across from the post office, +-AAM-to the left of the Coco fashion boutique.

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Now Playing: ExploreChinatown.TV! The Chinatown Partnership has launched ExploreChinatown.TV, a new initiative of the Explore Chinatown campaign that will showcase short films and videos about one of the most intriguing neighborhoods in the world. ExploreChinatown.TV debuted with “MA Shumin’s Chinatown,” short films by MA Shumin, who was born in Taishan, Guangdong province, China, raised in New York’s Chinatown, and studied film at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. Currently she makes documentary films, dividing her time between Paris and New York. Last February, Shumin revisited her old neighborhood and documented some of the sights, sounds and culture that define it. ExploreChinatown.TV launches with two of Shumin’s films:

• "Ballroom Dancing," about the extraordinary subculture of ballroom dancing in Chinatown.
• "Lin Sister Herbs," a look inside the world of Chinese herbs and their place in Chinese culture.

Four more of Shumin’s films will be introduced on the site in the coming weeks. In the future, other filmmakers will also be featured, and site visitors are being invited to submit short films for possible inclusion on the site.

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Partner With Us

Volunteer

Would you like to help out at one of our events, such as Taste of Chinatown or Lunar Stages? Or would you like to apply your expertise in areas such as law, marketing or business consulting? Tell us what you can do.

Donate

Help support the Chinatown Partnership’s programs and projects. Please send your check or money order to the address below or send us your contribution online at www.ChinatownPartnership.org.

Chinatown Partnership LDC, 60 St. James Place, New York, NY 10038

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