Downtown
BHM
BID
Part of downtown Birmingham’s secret sauce is a tool that cities across the world use to create and manage vibrant downtowns — a Business Improvement District (BID). Birmingham’s BID includes the CAP Clean & Safe team, REV Birmingham‘s downtown team doing projects small and large that improve places and even the creation and management of this website.
About Downtown BHM’s Business Improvement District
Did you know the Downtown BHM Business Improvement District (BID) now includes three districts? Explore the map below to see where BID services make the City Center (blue), The Switch (purple) and Five Points South (red) more vibrant!
A Business Improvement District (BID) is enabled by state law and granted by city ordinance after property owners petition their support. It is a district where property owners formally pool their resources to provide supplemental services that build on services provided by the city. Determined with input from property owners, BID services can include security, litter pick-up, graffiti removal, pressure washing, district events, marketing programs, and other special projects. Services are funded by BID property owners via an assessment based on their property values. Think of it as a homeowners’ association for a business district. Those extra services can make a place more competitive by creating a cleaner, more attractive district and giving it a distinctive identity.
The BID property owners are represented by a board of directors that is legally called the City Center District Management Corporation but is more informally and publicly called the Downtown BHM BID. The BID board is comprised of property owners or representatives of property owners, and one-third of seats are held, by state law, for property owners representing the lower third of properties by value.
The board contracts REV Birmingham to manage the BID, from overseeing the CAP Clean & Safe program to facilitating public space improvements to creating this website that helps people navigate and plug into downtown. REV Birmingham is a place-based revitalization and economic development nonprofit with a mission to activate people, places and investment to drive growth and vitality in downtown Birmingham and Woodlawn.
Originally established in 1995 as the City Center Business Improvement District, the BID has contributed to increased property values, reduced crime and a cleaner, more welcoming environment for residents, employees and visitors. On Dec. 12, 2023, Birmingham City Council approved an amendment to a city ordinance to allow the BID to expand into two additional downtown districts, Five Points South and The Switch, where services began July 1, 2024. (See the information presented to City Council here.)
Learn more about how it all works together in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)!
BID Special Projects
The BID team draws on inspiration from successful place-making and economic development projects in cities across the world and, of course, feedback from district stakeholders right here in Birmingham to design special projects for our BID sub-districts.
Have ideas or feedback to share with us? You’re invited to one of our Place-Shaping Socials! And you can tell us what you think anytime with our digital suggestion box.
Note: Special project funding is dedicated to each sub-district from which the funds are collected. Currently, only City Center and Five Points South have special project budgets; The Switch budget is concentrated on delivering CAP Clean and Safe services.
Active Special Projects
Five Points South
Five Points South Summer Sampler: A local food and music festival activating Brother Bryan Park on Saturday, August 22 from 5-9 p.m.
12 Days of Five Points & Festive in Five Points: 12 days of holiday activations in Five Points South — Wednesday through Saturday for the first three weeks of December (December 2–5, 9–12, and 16–19). Programming will include local theater performances, roaming holiday characters, Brunch with Santa, a holiday market, puzzle competitions, garland-making workshops, and more! Plus, Five Points will have holiday buskers and banners as well as host a holiday window-decorating competition for Five Points businesses.
City Center
20th Street Median Lighting: Artistic LED up-lighting in the tree-lined medians of 20th Street North from 1st Avenue North to Linn Park; currently scheduled to go live with winter holiday activations on 20th Street.
Rainbow Viaduct Lighting Repairs: Updating and repairing the iconic rainbow lighting in the viaducts under the railroad tracks at 14th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Street in the heart of downtown.
RAJ to Morris Stairs: Exploring lighting and public art upgrades to the historic stairs connecting Morris Avenue to 1st Avenue North alongside the Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard bridge
Pocket Park Visioning: Exploring potential design refresh for the pocket park area on 19th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenue North
Entertainment District Designation: Through community engagement and City of Birmingham engagement, exploring the potential for entertaiment district designation within the City Center
Alley Lighting: Completing the string lighting down the alley situated between 2nd and 3rd Avenue North and 19th and 20th Street North.
Window Pops: Installing several new Window Pops installations in vacant storefronts across the City Center
Birmingham Holiday Magic: Bringing back last year’s successful ornament trail, elf door hunt and very merry holiday guidebooks to encourage holiday foot traffic — adding 4 new ornaments and even more fun holiday decor and music to the City Center for 2026.
Ways to Engage
We want to hear from you as we set priorities and take action to help downtown grow! From the casual exchange of ideas at our Place-Shaping Socials to attending formal BID Board Meetings, we invite you to engage with our team and make a difference in Downtown BHM.
Place-Shaping Socials
Place-Shaping Socials are casual opportunities for downtown stakeholders to connect with their BID representatives and the REV team, share what’s working, talk about what could be better and help shape priorities for the future.
These gatherings happen at the district level, giving you a chance to bring your ideas, questions and concerns directly to the people helping guide BID decisions. Feedback from these conversations is shared with board committees as they develop recommendations for the full BID Board, including decisions made at the public May board election and November budget meeting.
Expand the sections below to see the 2026 Place-Shaping Social schedule for your district and join us!
City Center/The Switch
UPCOMING PLACE-SHAPING SOCIAL
City Center/The Switch Place-Shaping Socials invite community members to share priorities and concerns with their representatives on the BID board.
📅: September 15, 2026
⏰: 4:00-5:30 p.m.
📍: 1931 2nd Avenue North – Retail space to the left of Salud Taqueria; entrance on 20th Street
Five Points South
UPCOMING PLACE-SHAPING SOCIAL
Five Points South Place-Shaping Socials invite community members to share priorities and concerns with their representatives on the BID board.
📅: September 22, 2026
⏰: 1:00-2:30 p.m.
📍: Bandido Coffee Parlor – 1101 20th Street South
Place-Shaping Feedback
Hi there, downtown stakeholders! Fill out this form to share your ideas, priorities, concerns, and feedback with the Downtown BHM BID team.
2026 BID Board Meeting Schedule
All meetings are at the offices of Balch & Bingham at 4 p.m. unless otherwise specified. Meetings in bold are open to members of the public.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 — Public Election Meeting
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 — Public Budget Meeting
Downtown BHM Board
Board members may serve up to three consecutive 3-year terms. As board seats become available, new board members are nominated, then elected at each May Public Election Meeting. Interested in board service? Contact our team to learn more.
2025-2026 Downtown BHM Board Members
CITY CENTER
Lucien Blankenship, Jazzi’s on 3rd (Board Vice President)
Danielle Hines, CREED63*
Joe Sandner, IV, Colliers (Board President)*
Jacob Shevin, Standard Furniture*
Ladd Tucker, Ladd Real Estate (Board Treasurer)*
FIVE POINTS SOUTH
Steve Alexander, Five Points South Alliance/Revitalex Properties*
Rima Patel, Birmingham Apothecary*
David Silverstein Jr., Five Stone Group
THE SWITCH
Barbara Cooney, So So Spiffy*
Stephen DeVries, 11 Productions*
Carlton Kemper, EBSCO*
AT-LARGE (owns or represents properties in more than one of the districts above)
West Harris, Harbert Realty
Cory Guillory, Regions
Jasmine Sledge, Alabama Power
Carter Hughes, H2 Real Estate
EX OFFICIO (non-voting)
Lee Johnsey, Balch & Bingham (Board Secretary)
Janice Douthard, City of Birmingham
Elizabeth Barbaree-Tasker, REV Birmingham
David Fleming, REV Birmingham
*Denotes a board member who owns or represents a property in the lowest one-third of the fair market values of all real property in the BID
Clean & Safe
Ensuring that downtown feels safe and clean to its residents, employees and visitors is the foundation for creating vibrant places! Downtown’s CAP Clean & Safe Program is one of those extra services funded by the BID.
CAP Ambassadors welcome you to downtown Birmingham, patrolling on foot, Segways and bikes. Their visibility and attention often deter bad behavior and activities, and they look for opportunities to help people and tidy up our district as they’re out and about.
How can CAP help you? Call 205-251-0111 to request help within the Downtown BHM Business Improvement District.
Billing Information & Annual Reports
Do you have billing questions regarding your BID assessment? Email billing@downtownbhm.com or call 205-994-9902. If you prefer to pay your assessment online with a credit card or ACH, we can email your invoice directly to you.
Submit Or Update Property Owner Contact Info
Do you need to submit or update contact information for a property within the Downtown BHM BID? Please complete the form below to share information for the person who should receive annual invoices. If you are updating your information for more than one property or if you have additional questions, you may email billing@downtownbhm.com or call 205-994-9902.
Downtown Birmingham BID Property Owner Contact Information
Click the buttons below to see annual reports that include BID program and project descriptions and data as well as financial information. More detailed financial and organizational information is available upon request. Email billing@downtownbhm.com for such inquiries.
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