Approved by the City Council on Monday, roughly 26 blocks of Lincoln’s Telegraph District will now be included in a downtown business enhancement initiative that already stretches over 150 blocks.
Lincoln’s Downtown Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) were established in 1989 by downtown property and business owners, in cooperation with the Downtown Lincoln Association (DLA) and the City of Lincoln.
BIDs are special benefit assessment districts that receive special benefits with the goal of enhancing economic development, parking management, communications and advocacy programs. Additionally, Maintenance BIDs (particularly roads, sidewalks, etc.) are provided landscape maintenance, daily trash removal, sidewalk cleaning and anything that ensures a clean, safe and inviting downtown.
The previous BID zone swept diagonally from Pinnacle Arena Drive to just before the State Capital Building. Now the area will expand east to include downtown’s growing Telegraph District, roughly: K Street to Q Street and from 13th to 21st Street.
Councilman Brody Weber, representative of the area in question – NW District 4, said at Monday’s meeting, “For over 40 years, the Downtown Lincoln Association has provided services to nearly 900 businesses and 500 property owners in the business Improvement district. Expanding this district to include the Telegraph District will add 80 businesses and 156 properties.
“With these investments, Downtown Lincoln has seen a 405% increase in residents, 156% increase in hotel rooms. The DLA has distributed over 200,000 visitor guides. Expanding this district will build on those investments to keep Downtown Lincoln thriving,” said Weber.
As a part of the 2024 Biennium Budget, the city of Lincoln will match the maintenance portion costs of BID funding.
For more information on BIDs, go to: downtownlincoln.org