After years of wrangling, Soho is set to get a Business Improvement District. The BID, which will include the stretch of Broadway between Houston and Canal streets, is expected to receive Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s nod in the next few days.
The BID will primarily handle sanitation issues arising from heavy foot traffic and the many food and vending cards in the area.
“This effort is the product of years of community engagement and constructive dialogue between property owners, residents, local business owners and government officials,” City Council Member Margaret Chin, who championed the BID, said in a statement to Crain’s.
The BID’s board will be divided equally between residential property owners and business owners, according to Crain’s.
Neighborhood groups have fought a protracted battle against the creation of the BID, saying that the high-end retailers in the area should be made to foot the bill for local improvements, rather than residents, according to Crain’s. [Crain’s] – Hiten Samtani