By David Sher

We’re counting down the days.

Graffiti will be disappearing one by one.

Trash and litter on the sidewalk and streets will become rare.

Our homeless neighbors will receive regular outreach to help connect them to services and resources they need.

The result: A lot of happy Southside visitors, merchants, restaurant operators, residents, and property owners.

I’ve always loved Five Points South and I’ve spent a lot of time there.

When I was a child I attended South Highland Elementary School; watched movies at the Five Points Movie Theater; got my hair cut at the Five Points Barber Shop; bowled at the 5 Points Bowling Alley and shopped at Woolworth Five-and-Dime.

It broke my heart to watch Five Points fall into disrepair.

But there’s an obvious solution—and we’re just days away.

Business Improvement District approved for Five Points

A business improvement district (BID) has always been the obvious path for Five Points.

But historically there has been push back from some property owners. In frustration, both in 2015 and in 2019, I wrote columns reinforcing the idea of a BID for Five Points South.

Right after these columns published, I heard from a few property owners supporting the idea, but nothing ever happened.

Finally, through incredible Five Points South leadership and a lot of painstaking work, Five Points South property owners voted to become part of the current downtown BID.

New services will be funded by the property owners via an assessment based on their property values.

Think of it as a homeowners’ association for a business district.

Property owners pool their resources in order to provide city services beyond what the city currently provides.

Services like…

• Litter pick-up
• Graffiti removal
• Pressure washing
• District events
• Marketing programs
• Other special projects

Following the lead of downtown Birmingham

Downtown Birmingham’s property owners created a BID, establishing the City Action Partnership (CAP) in 1995.

There are over 1,000 BIDs across America.

If you spend time downtown, you may recognize CAP Ambassadors as the men and women in blue shirts and caps who ride around in trucks and on bikes constantly cleaning the streets and sidewalks.

CAP Ambassadors give directions, jump dead batteries, air up flat tires, provide security escorts, rescue keys from locked vehicles, and remove graffiti.  The service is free to the public–as the program is totally supported by the property owners in the district.

In calendar year 2023, CAP downtown posted these numbers…

• 334 graffiti removals
• 1,196 outreach to people experiencing homelessness
• 3,438 panhandling instances addressed
• 19,076 general cleanings
• 23,574 interactions with business owners and employees

It’s rare to see graffiti in the CAP district downtown. If graffiti is found, it is removed immediately.

I’ve never heard a property owner complain about the annual bill they receive.

Almost everyone loves CAP and the services it provides.

And as a board member of CAP since its creation in 1995, I’ve received hundreds of thank-yous and pats on the back. Since CAP helps so many people, it’s the only board I’ve ever served that has been a 100% positive experience.

Everyone wins!

• Visitors will have a better experience
• Merchants and restaurant operators will have more customers
• Homeless population will be offered outreach
• Southside residents will have a much cleaner and safer neighborhood
• Property owners will befit from increased property values

Property values increased in the downtown BID when it was established in 1995 from about $583 million to nearly $1.8 billion today.

Skeptics

I know there will be skeptics.

There were skeptics nearly 30 years ago when the downtown BID was created.

Ironically, the loudest and most vocal critic of CAP asked to join the board after he recognized the potential. He became one of CAP’s biggest supporters.

BID’s make a difference

Steve Alexander, a Southside resident and community leader, has worked tirelessly to expand the BID for Five Points.

Here’s what he wrote for al.com. “The truth is that BIDS work – all over the world. I have personally witnessed what they can do in mid-town Atlanta, in lower Manhattan, and in Dublin, Ireland.

“But you need look no further than our own City Center to see what can happen when local owners band together.”

CAP 5 Points South services begin July 1^st and you’ll soon see the difference.

David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown.  He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).

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Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown.com.