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Business owners seek to form improvement district

By Daniel Casciato, FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, December 1, 2005
Longtime Mt. Lebanon businessman Reg Tate believes the most significant revitalization of the Washington Road business district has occurred only recently.

"We now have many businesses trying to get into this area," Tate said. "The changes over the past few years have been remarkable and we want to keep it on that level."

To help do that, Tate, who has turned the business he has operated since the 1960s -- Potomac Bakery -- to his son, has volunteered to help create the community's new business improvement district.

The idea to create such a district came when Tate and about 25 property owners and merchants in the central business district in September learned about them from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center.

"This type of designation ensures a municipality that they will have a well-run and well-managed central business district," said Bill Fontana, executive director of the center.

Projects of a business improvement district would be funded by participating members, Fontana said. There are 41 properties in Mt. Lebanon's central business district that contain 148 businesses.

"Every property owner in the BID will have to participate if an ordinance is passed," said Mame Bradley, commercial district manager for Mt. Lebanon. "For that to happen, 60 percent of the property owners must approve."

Two public hearings are required before an improvement district can be formed and 40 percent of affected property owners can kill the idea by submitting written objections.

An improvement district creates a reliable, multi-year sources of funds for economic development beyont those services and improvements provided by the municipality, Fontana said.

A steering committee formed to create a district will meet later this month to discuss its plans, the amount participants would be assessed and to begin a draft proposal that will be presented to all the property owners in the central business district early in 2006, Tate said.

Possible projects discussed by the steering committee include:

  • Hiring a contractor to sweep sidewalks and remove snow and ice;

  • Creating an advertising campaign for cable television;

  • Installing kiosks for private advertisements, event notices and posters;

  • Developing way-finding signage;

  • Installing cigarette/ash receptacles at bus stops, outside of restaurants and near building lobbies;

  • Installing signs at the T that link the station with the district.

    "I think this is a good idea for the central business district," said Kathleen Becker, branch manager of the National City Bank on Washington Road. "The residential tax base is not enough to support the things we'd like to do."

    Fontana said the program is not just about promoting economic development. but it is also about "improving the quality of life in the community."


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