The City of Fresno Downtown and Community Revitalization Department is only one piece of the downtown revitalization puzzle. Ultimately revitalization will only take root with a strengthened and fully engaged private sector.

The Department is working to support the formation of a Downtown Fresno Property and Business Improvement District (PBID). The PBID formation process seeks input from property owners about the needs of the Downtown area, and concludes with a petition and election by the owners to assess themselves to bring a greater level of services to the area.

PBIDs are a proven, effective tool for downtown revitalization. In nearly 100 other California cities — from Sacramento to San Diego, and as close as Stockton and Visalia — the formation of a PBID has brought the needed resources to bear, made property owners active political stakeholders in the City’s downtown efforts, and accelerated revitalization.

For more information about the proposed Downtown Fresno PBID, visit the Downtown Association PBID webpage or contact Elliott Balch, City of Fresno Downtown Revitalization Manager, by email or at (559) 621-8350.

Supporting a new PBID is only part of the Downtown and Community Revitalization Department’s strategy to engage the public sector in revitalization. The Department maintains a close working relationship with the Downtown Association of Fresno, the Cultural Arts District Association, Chinatown Revitalization Inc., and stakeholders in the South Stadium and Old Armenian Town areas. The Department actively encourages private sector partners to pool their interests, energies, and resources into organizations established to help maximize the private sector’s contributions to revitalization.