Business Improvement District (BID)

What is the BID?

The Downtown Billings Business Improvement District (BID) is a privately directed, publicly sanctioned non profit organization created in 2005 by by a large group of downtown Billings property owners who wanted to work together on the upkeep of the newly streetscaped downtown and create collective economic benefits to the shareholders that cannot be achieved on an individual basis. The boundaries of the BID are determined by property owners who opt-in to assess themselves with a yearly fee in order to accomplish the tasks of the BID.

The BID is dedicated to making our downtown a safe, clean and inviting place to live, work, and play. In 2009, the BID began its cooperative safety program when it partnered with the Billings Police Department (BPD) by bringing on a BPD officer as the first downtown resource officer, accomplished in conjunction with the Downtown Billings Partnership who helped fund the first year of this pilot program. The new “Safe Zone” of the BID was added after to fund the cooperative safety program that expanded first to two BPD downtown resource officers and now funding three full time BPD downtown officers.

The BID renewal process

The downtown BID is renewed, per state law, every 10 years. The renewal process involves mailing out surveys to downtown property owners and receiving at least 60% returned marked with a yes vote. The BID’s first renewal occurred in 2015, where property owners returned well over 60% approval, showing a strong support for the BID.

The BID Boundaries

There are two defined ‘zones’ within the BID boundary. The larger of the two is the Safe Zone, the area in which the property owners fund the BID Cooperative Safety Program that funds both the three fulltime Billings Police Officers and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) program. The property owners within the smaller Clean and Safe Zone (outlined in the image below in green) also fund the workplan of the BID Street Team (e.g. Sidewalk clean up and snow plowing, pedestrian trashcan upkeep, street level graffiti removal, flower basket program, public art projects, Public Restroom maintenance). The Clean and Safe Zone is approximately eight miles of sidewalk.

The BID Street Team

The BID Street Team are the most visible element of the Business Improvement District (BID) with a measurable impact on the approximately 20 block ‘district Clean and Safe Zone. Not only through their work to help make it a cleaner and safer district but in their efforts to make a friendlier downtown. It is not uncommon to see a member of the BID Street Team handing out parking tokens, giving directions, providing a personal escort, helping a business owner move a heavy item, help tow-out cars on especially snowy days, or helping an at need individual to a resource agency. The team’s motto of “better than it was” is reflected over and over in their committed to achieving a higher standard in the delivery of services offered in the BID work plan.