See You in 10 Years!
September 28, 2019
Naples City Council Unanimously Votes to Extend 5th Avenue South Business Improvement District Resolution until 2030
Naples, FL: (September 26, 2019) . . . See you in 10 years.
That’s the parting message the Naples City Council gave 5th Avenue South Business Improvement District (BID) executive director Bruce Barone, Jr. after voting unanimously (7-0) on the resolution to extend the 5th Avenue South BID for an additional 10 years during its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2019.
After the vote Naples Vice Mayor Gary Price said, “I think we all are grateful for how successful you, the property owners and the businesses have made this district. It wasn’t such an easy thing 10 years ago to know how great a thing this would become and it’s because of you and your team and our staff. It took a lot of heaving lifting and a lot of prayers in the beginning, and you’ve all done a great job. Thank you,” he added.
Created in 2009 at the request of downtown merchants, the 5th Avenue South BID provides the City with the means to assess some 200 merchants to fund marketing and promotional activities. With the support of the local government and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), which oversees and helps guide private and public initiatives for creating economic development, physical characteristic improvements and investment within the designated CRA district, the BID has helped create the successful downtown district master plan and zoning district in addition to the 5th Avenue South special overlay zoning district.
The BID also designed and installed decorative lighting and landscape improvements, developed a strategic marketing plan for entrepreneurial and small business strategies, secured new sponsors for holiday events and created new activities to draw visitors downtown.
Barone reports the BID has successfully worked to reinvest and guide revitalization efforts and has achieved measureable success reaching tourists and visitors worldwide, attracted and retained new businesses, and solidified relationships with lawmakers and local communities.
“Locals will remember when downtown Naples was a very different place. Nearly 10 years of work between the 5th Avenue South (BID) and the City of Naples have helped downtown and 5th Avenue South become one of the most exclusive areas in our state,” believes Barone. “The BID is responsible for millions of dollars in annual economic activity and has become an iconic image for many in Naples and Collier County. The BID has enjoyed a great relationship with the City and we are looking forward to another decade of growth.”
