UPDATED 9/20 - Conroy pleased that BID is moving forward...

Troy Record - Downtown collaborative pushes forward TU - BID organizers look to learn from the past


Conroy Calls for Downtown BID

Press Release
Date: 8/19/07
Contact: Jim Conroy

Troy - Jim Conroy, Democratic candidate for Mayor of Troy today called for the immediate establishment of a Downtown Troy Business Improvement District (BID) to build on the accomplishments of business initiated events such as the Chowderfest, River Street Festival, Troy Night Out and the Victorian Stroll.

"The City of Troy has a very energetic and imaginative business community. Imagine the creative things they could accomplish with the money raised through the BID"; Conroy said.

Troy business owners proposed to establish a BID for downtown Troy in 2003; however, differences of opinion regarding weighted voting and procedural omissions as to tenants participating in the vote prevented it from moving forward.

"Since then, Mayor Harry Tutunjian has failed to move the establishment of the BID from the back burner." Conroy said.

Conroy said; "Any problems with the establishment of a BID in downtown Troy should have been remedied through leadership from City Hall long ago."

"Business Improvement Districts are private-public partnerships in which property and business owners of a defined area make collective contributions to the maintenance, development and marketing/promotion of their commercial district. Both Albany and Schenectady have made very good use of their BID’s to promote commercial areas of their cities;" Conroy said

BIDS are authorized by the local government but have their own Board of Directors and allocate their funds as they see fit. The Troy BID was proposed to extend from approximately the Hudson River to Sixth Ave. and from Ferry Street to Hoosick St. It could fund festivals, events, capital improvements, beautification programs such as flower planting and maintenance, street cleaning and other imaginative projects.