The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership Business Improvement District (BID) was launched in 2006. In the few short years since then, the neighborhood has seen profound changes for the better -- and the BID has played a major role in effecting that change.
The Partnership is a not-for-profit organization formed by property owners, businesses and others with a stake in Flatiron. It is one of 66 BIDs throughout New York City and its focus is on community improvements and economic development. An irregularly shaped area of some 38 square blocks, it runs from 21st to 28th Streets and from parts of Sixth Avenue up to, but not including, Third Avenue, serving almost 20 million square feet of commercial space and more than 4,500 businesses.
Since its inception, the Partnership has engaged in a broad range of programs and services to enhance the district’s quality of life. It quickly put into place two dedicated groups of men and women, one to keep the neighborhood clean, the other to keep it safe. With its brooms and buckets, its power washers and paint brushes, the BID’s Clean Team rids the area of litter and graffiti, while members of the Public Safety Team serve as unofficial ambassadors of good will, giving directions, acting as a liaison with the New York Police Department and providing a visible symbol of stability. Both groups, easily identified by their distinctive Flatiron Partnership uniforms, are out there seven days a week, all year-round.
The BID’s marketing program includes a website, a monthly newsletter, a neighborhood map and shopping guide, e-mail alerts, Facebook and Twitter pages, the popular free weekly walking tour, and sponsorship opportunities on branded banners and litter baskets, but there is more. Much more. Its Intersections program includes a Speaker Series and Business Forums that have addressed such challenging issues as crime, dealing with emergencies, starting new businesses, and coping with current economic conditions. On the cultural level, the BID has partnered with local organizations to produce programs as varied as an architectural interpretation of the district and a salute to the neighborhood’s continuing culinary distinction. And speaking of food, since the BID was born, the neighborhood has become home to an ever-increasing number of fine restaurants on streets that were once deserted after dark.
On the most obvious level -- the look of the area -- big changes have also been made. The Public Plazas that were initiated north of and adjacent to the Flatiron Building in 2008 have brought new life, an influx of visitors and a revitalization of business. Maintained by the BID, they are embellished by lush plantings, bright blue umbrellas, silver-toned tables and chairs, and the BID’s Public Information Cart. More recently, additional public space -- with more plantings and seating -- was created as part of the redesign of Broadway south of 22nd Street. Add to that a Streetscape and Beautification plan that resulted in newly planted trees and floral tree-pits, a profusion of hanging flower baskets, sleek new bike racks, and a mall beautification program along Park Avenue South. In addition, the BID operates a homeless outreach program through a contract with Urban Pathways, and is a founding member of the East Side Alliance, an effort geared toward fostering communication and accountability among area methadone clinics, law enforcement, and the community.
Today the Flatiron Partnership has an annual budget of $1.6 million, funded through a special assessment from the area’s commercial property owners. It is one of the city’s biggest BIDs and it has helped transform the Flatiron district into more of a destination than ever.
Click here for a one-page description of the Flatiron BID.
