Business and civic leaders in Mayfair are doubling down on efforts to transform a two-mile stretch of Frankford Avenue into the commercial core of Northeast Philadelphia.
A bill introduced in City Council last week would create a Business Improvement District (BID) for the area, capping off years of planning and community outreach.
BIDs, like the Center City District or Germantown Special Services District, fund street-cleaning, lighting, security, and business-support services through additional tax assessments on commercial properties.
The Mayfair CDC and other civic groups have worked with the City’s Commerce Department over the last few years to lay the groundwork for a Mayfair BID, and leaders there feel confident the current effort will succeed where other recent attempts in Chinatown, North Philadelphia, and Washington Square West have failed.
“I don’t see any opposition,” said Councilman Bobby Henon, who introduced the bill authorizing the Mayfair BID.