Durango’s Business Improvement District, a property-taxing district, is working to expand its boundaries along north Main Avenue to increase its revenue and the services it could offer businesses along the corridor.
The BID formed in 1997 and collects property taxes from about 400 commercial property owners in downtown Durango and along north Main Avenue to pay for marketing, community events such as Singing with Santa and capital projects such as supporting the construction of a conference center.
But the owners of 70 properties along north Main Avenue opted not to join BID because it wouldn’t have served their interests, said Tim Walsworth, BID executive director. For example, it wouldn’t have made sense for a doctor’s office to join the district, he said.
In the past 22 years, north Main Avenue has changed significantly, and new retail shops and restaurants have opened.
“As we look at that, we see an opportunity to serve more businesses,” Walsworth said.
The expansion of BID along north Main Avenue also would align with a larger effort to revitalize the area, he said. The city of Durango finished a plan for the area in 2018 that envisions new walkable centers of activity where businesses and housing would be concentrated.
In recent years, BID also has increased its promotion of the area by naming it the North Main District, holding free movie nights at the Durango Community Recreation Center and hosting events that feature music, tours, games and other activities to draw people to the area.
“We are just trying to do more of that place-making, branding – providing our services to business so they have some free marketing,” he said.
The revenue from the expansion of BID would support more services for the North Main District, he said.
The BID has identified 25 properties that might be a good fit for the district and is working with property owners individually on the process of joining BID, he said.
Property owners must pay an additional 2 mills in property taxes and petition the city to join, he said. The BID hopes to bring five to 10 petitions from property owners to the city for consideration early next year, he said.
The new 25 properties would generate about $7,000 annually for the BID. If all 70 properties joined, they would generate about $25,000 for BID. BID’s annual property tax revenue is about $280,000.
Walsworth said he expects the proposed BID expansion would be a slow process.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
