Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg recently approved legislation that would grant a potential budget increase for a Business Improvement District (BID) in Long Island City that pays collective taxes for the maintenance of its streets.
The potential increase, which was approved at the end of 2009, comes in response to the construction of the Gotham Center, a new building in the district, which would eventually become the headquarters for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).
“It’s one stage in paperwork,” said Dan Miner, Senior Vice President of Business Services for the Long Island City Business Development Corporation (LICBDC), which is involved with the BID. “But we now have the permission to raise the total amount paid by property owners to account for new businesses.”
The district, which covers parts of the Queens Plaza area of Long Island City, allows business owners to better maintain their storefronts by paying extra city taxes that are then directly utilized for the hiring of private maintenance firms.
“It’s not about charging extra taxes to our businesses, but about using our property owners’ tax dollars for a very specific and concrete purpose, which will benefit all,” said Miner.
As the Gotham Center attracts more office workers to the district, the hope is that it will also attract new restaurants and other amenities to an already burgeoning area, according to Miner.
However, more people unfortunately also translate to more litter. The district intends to raise its budget in order to hire additional private maintenance workers to deal with the heightened need.
“BID assessments provide a variety of services, including sanitation, security, marketing and landscaping. The services provided to the community are essential to ensuring that small businesses, and the neighborhoods in which they operate, attract even more business owners, visitors, and residents,” Bloomberg said. “I would like to thank Small Business Services Commissioner Rob Walsh and his staff for working together with these communities to help strengthen and expand services in these BIDs.”
Tishman Speyer, who owns the Gotham Center, has already agreed to contribute a large share towards the district’s budget, which will increase upon its opening, according to Miner.
Other major property owners in the district are Citibank, MetLife, and Silvercup Studios, who are all in favor of the raised budget, according to Miner.
