Excepts from Council Member Markert Newsletter June, 2007..."On June 4 the City Council of Aurora voted unanimously in favor of the creation of the BID at its regular session.

The creation of the Havana BID marks the first Business Improvement District in Aurora . This will draw positive publicity to the Havana District and to Aurora .

The Havana BID will be a win-win-win situation for consumers, the businesses on Havana St. and the City. There are 660 businesses in the Havana BID boundaries which will extend for 4.3 miles along Havana St. from E.6th Ave. on the north to E. Dartmouth Ave. on the south, making it the largest BID in Colorado .

The BID Board of Directors expects to implement economic development and marketing services which will help existing business grow and will attract new businesses to Havana St. The BID members will cooperate to do consumer marketing and promotions to draw people into the area. They plan on doing Havana District id entity and image enhancements such as gateway signs, street furniture, streetscape and landscape design, banners, maintenance and capital improvements.

All of this will bring more business into the district, increasing property and sales tax revenue for the city and will provide a better shopping experience for the residents of the area. Improved business conditions may also contribute to increased property values for home owners in the area.

For the ordinance establishing the Havana BID to come before City Council, petitions signed by business and commercial property owners representing at least 50% of the total accessed value within the BID boundaries as well as a minimum of 50% of the total land area had to be certified by the City Clerk. That requirement was well surpassed with petitions signed representing 57.09% of assessed value and 63.74% of square footage by the May14 deadline.750 copies of the public hearing notice for the June 7 City Council were mailed by the City Clerk on May17. With City Council approval of the ordinance establishing the Havana BID, the only remaining step in the process is a successful election on Nov.6, 2007. A simple majority (50% +1)of the business and commercial property owners within the BID boundaries voting that day is required for the Havana BID to start collecting a 4.5mil assessment from its members. Residential properties will not be assessed.

A separate email will be sent with a copy of the Havana BID Newsletter that was distributed to all business and commercial property owners. It contains an explanation of the benefits of a BID, an outline of what the process was, questions and answers regarding BIDs in general, examples of improvements and activities that can be supported by BID assessments and a map of the Havana BID boundaries." Back to the Aurora Business Development Center .