About the Columbus BID

      In June of 1999, based on the approval of the Columbus City Council and the request of property owners in a 47-block area of the Central Business District, the Columbus Business Improvement District (BID) was formed. Legislation defines the district as a commercial area with distinct geographic boundaries in which the property owners have agreed to assess themselves a fee in order to supplement city services in the areas of hospitality and safety, cleanliness and maintenance and marketing and promotion.  The Columbus Business Improvement District represents the property owners through sound management and proper utilization of annual proceeds in order to provide new and enhanced services to the BID area and its property owners.

      The BID specializes in providing the businesses and property owners a “clean and safe” program customized to their needs as well as a comprehensive marketing plan designed to promote the area. We provide highly trained personnel, the latest cleaning equipment, professionally developed operational procedures, hospitality services and quality supervision by the staff to ensure all customers in the BID area receive excellent service and support. Our clean and safe program includes litter prevention and control, mechanical sweeping, sidewalk pressure washing, reporting of maintenance problems to the appropriate agency, ambassador hospitality patrols and off-duty Columbus Police Security.  The BID marketing plan comprises well known events like Spooktacular and the Spring and Fall Garage Sales that draw large crowds to the area, as well as year round promotion of the Uptown area as a place where people desire to visit, live, work, shop, dine and enjoy. 

      The Business Improvement District board of directors and staff share a proud record of service to the BID area.  Since the beginning of operations in January of 2000, the BID has received numerous awards from community and state organizations while averaging 20 positive evaluation cards from visitors, citizens and property owners for the outstanding job the “purple people” continue to do.  The BID continues to make tremendous progress toward turning the vision of a clean and safe Uptown Columbus a reality.  In 2004, 75% of the BID property owners who own 93% of the property by value signed a petition that enabled the City Council to extend the life of the BID for another 5 years.