BID to Bethlehem?

The Morning Call has a story on the potential of a Business Improvement District (BID) in Bethlehem.

BIDs are an often used component to revitalize urban cores. They involve assessing a fee (usually based on the square footage of a store or jobs created) on properties within the district. That money is then used to pay staff and provide for services, including increase security, physical improvements, clean-ups, etc. Of course, all of those services are outstanding and can be a huge boost to downtowns, who often suffer from insufficient resources or attention from local governments. The problem, of course, is that merchants or property owners often don't want or can't afford another fee from the government. This is why BIDs are often controversial subjects.

That being said, they are certainly proving to be more popular lately. There seems to be a growing realization among downtowns that special attention must be paid to older, urban cores in order to continue with a successful revitalization effort.

As always, the trick lies in generation community consensus behind the BID. Without public consensus, a BID will always fail.