What is the BIA?

Downtown Tacoma's Business Improvement Area (BIA) was formed by downtown property owners in 1988 to provide additional security and maintenance services for the city's primary commercial area.  Since that time, the district has successfully reduced crime, improved perceptions of personal safety and added sparkle to City Center's streets and sidewalks.

As the BIA advances into its third decade of services it is remarkable how much has changed in Downtown Tacoma in the past 20 years.  If we are to consider bricks as the buildings and mortar as the social activities Downtown Tacoma has experienced a dramatic evolution in both aspects.

The bricks include the building of the University of Washington Tacoma campus, new museums, the convention center, new commercial and residential structures, as well as rehabilitation of dozens of historic structures.  Add to that development of numerous streetscapes and pocket parks.

As profound as the changing skyline has been, the progress of putting feet on the streets has been the most encouraging.  Those who patronize the arts venues, retail storefronts and services, restaurants and hotels, mix with office workers and the rising population of market rate housing, to create an increasingly vibrant community.

Downtown Tacoma is uniquely poised to parlay the successes of the past 20 years into a truly dynamic urban center. Both economically and culturally Downtown Tacoma is at the heart of the new urban trends for Go Local commerce and community involvement, walkable lifestyles and environmental resourcefulness.

The BIA is committed to promoting every opportunity for its rate-payers to find even more success in Downtown Tacoma in the decades ahead.

Administration

The Downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area is a, a private, not-for-profit corporation with a 501(c)(4) status. The activities of the BIA are managed by the BIA Board of Directors (also known as the Local Development Council of Tacoma). The eleven-member BIA Board is comprised of rate payers and business people from the 84-block area wherein properties are assessed for the BIA.  The Board meets monthly to provide oversight to the three activity areas of the BIA: maintenance, security and community relations.

Each activity area is overseen directly by a committee of Board members and BIA staff.  The committees, Marketing, Security and Community Relations make recommendations to the Board, monitor activities, and coordinate with other entities (e.g. various City departments, other parties involved in security in the downtown, Safe Streets, etc.).

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce is contracted by the City of Tacoma to manage the day-to-day activities of the BIA and provide administrative support to the Board.  The Chamber contracts with Johnson, Stone and Pagano, Certified Public Accountants to annually audit the finances of the BIA.