About
Downtown
Birmingham’s
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 and safe team, REV’s downtown team doing projects small and large that improve places, and even the creation of management of this website. Keep reading to learn more!
About Downtown’s Business Improvement District
Did you know Downtown Birmingham’s Business Improvement District (BID) now includes 3 districts? See the map below to see where BID services make the City Center (blue), The Switch (purple) and Five Points South (red) more vibrant! Click here for the latest info about our newest sub-districts.
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 Downtown Birmingham BID property owners are represented by a board of directors legally called the City Center District Management Corporation. 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 and 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 create vibrant commercial districts.
2024 Downtown Birmingham 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, January 31
- Wednesday, February 14
- Wednesday, March 6
- Wednesday, May 15 — Public Annual Meeting
- Wednesday, July 17
- Wednesday, September 18
- Wednesday, November 13 — Public Budget Meeting
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.
New BID Sub-District Information
On Dec. 12, 2023, Birmingham City Council approved an amendment to a city ordinance to allow the Downtown Birmingham Business Improvement District (BID) to expand into two additional downtown districts, Five Points South and The Switch. (See the information presented to City Council here.) That means new services like the CAP clean and safe program, as well as district management and promotion, are on the way!
Our target date for starting BID services in Five Points South and The Switch is July 1, 2024. Property owners in Five Points South and The Switch will receive a prorated invoice in May 2024 for 6 months of services. See our mock invoice and frequently asked questions to better understand what to expect.
Have more questions? Attend an upcoming Town Hall or Advisory Forum in one of the new BID sub-districts, or view recordings of past community meetings by clicking the district name below to expand details.
Five Points South
UPCOMING ADVISORY FORUM
Five Points South Advisory Forums invite community stakeholders to share their priorities and concerns with their representatives on the BID board
📅: TBD date in August 2024 (our most recent meeting was March 25, 2024)
⏰: TBD
📍: TBD
UPCOMING TOWN HALL
Town Halls are intended to publicly and widely share information and answer questions about what to expect next
📅: Monday, June 3, 2024
⏰: 12 – 1 p.m.
📍: Highlands United Methodist Church (1045 20th St. S)
RECORDINGS FROM PAST EVENTS
🎦: Watch a recording of the February 26, 2024, Town Hall here. Follow along with the presentation here.
🎦: Watch a recording of the August 2023 Community Info Session, which was held before the BID ordinance amendment was approved by City Council, here.
The Switch
UPCOMING ADVISORY FORUM
The Switch Advisory Forums invite community stakeholders to share their priorities and concerns with their representatives on the BID board
📅: TBD date in August 2024 (Our most recent meeting was March 20, 2024)
⏰: TBD
📍: TBD
UPCOMING TOWN HALL
Town Halls are intended to publicly and widely share information and answer questions about what to expect next
📅: Friday, June 7, 2024
⏰: 12 – 1 p.m.
📍: Innovation Depot (1500 1st Ave. N)
RECORDINGS FROM PAST EVENTS
🎦: Watch a recording of the February 28, 2024, Town Hall here. Follow along with the presentation here.
🎦: Watch a recording of the October 2022 Community Info Session, which was held before the BID ordinance amendment was approved by City Council, here.
Stay up-to-date on the BID and more happenings downtown by signing up for our newsletter below!
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 safety ambassadors welcome you to Birmingham’s City Center, 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 City Center Business Improvement District.
Newsletter
Stay in touch.
Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest news on the businesses, developments, events and people of Downtown Birmingham!
Contact Information for BID Property
Do you need to submit or update contact information for a property within the Downtown Birmingham 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
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