Show Notes
Mike Harris is the Executive Director of the South Street Headhouse District (SSHD), Philadelphia's second oldest (1993) Business Improvement District (BID).
They are headquartered in the Headhouse Shambles, located at 2nd and Pine Streets
BIDs are a municipal authority and act as a liaison between business and government - but are not a government agency
BIDs are economic development organizations that take a geographic specific area and provide additional services and much more to promote that commercial corridor
BIDs do things like provide additional street sweeping, liaising with businesses and the city on zoning / licensing issues, and undertaking beautification projects
There are 14 BIDs in Philadelphia (full list linked below)
Mike's background is in community development
He worked in the Public Sector
Most of his career was spent in Chicago city government
His worked centered around revitalizing commercial corridors and bringing up neighborhoods
Mike came to Philadelphia in 2002
Before taking on this position, Mike worked for Rowan, UPenn, and The School District of Philadelphia
He was attracted to BIDs because he could work in a grassroots organization on the other side, rather than from City Hall
A perfect example of what BIDs do is the recently completed pedestrian lighting project on 4th Street
Before the project's completion, Fabric Row was dark and unappealing at night
SSHD assessed the cost, found funding, and installed 50 new lights from Lombard to Christian Streets
They've found that businesses are staying open later and the corridor has fewer vacancies
Hungry Pigeon has opened at 4th and Fitzwater since the project's completion
Their biggest upcoming project is the South Street Plaza Project (located just south of the Headhouse Shambles, across from the Wawa, between Lombard and South Streets)
They are renovating the plaza to create a new community space for people to gather
Renovations include new lighting, new trees, and a map bin and reference points for the district so that tourists can find their way around
It has been discussed for years but is coming to fruition in Spring 2018
SSHD is also a Registered Community Organization (RCO)
RCOs are a key part of the zoning process
When developers or other entities want to open businesses or build a structure which requires a zoning variance (a piece of Philadelphia zoning code), they must meet with the appropriate RCO
The RCO can then support them, recommend modifications to the plan, or in some rare cases, oppose the plan
However, RCOs are not a governing body and only make recommendations
The Zoning Board has the final say in the matter
SSHD has public meetings where people can voice their opinions on upcoming projects/proposals
Essentially, they work to achieve the greatest good for the most people (but you can't please all of the people all of the time)
Another example of what BIDs can do surrounds the sad case of Bridget Foy's and Doggie Style burning down
They helped facilitate fundraising to support the employees
They also held a 300 person community dinner under the Shambles to raise funds for the American Red Cross, Red Paws, and Bridget Foy's
Now SSHD is working as an RCO to help with zoning and permitting for Bridget Foy's rebuild (Doggie Style reopened at another location in the area recently)
SSHD and other BIDs generate revenue from:
Property owners (main source)
They assess all the properties in the district and issue the owner(s) a required yearly fee
Grant funding
Rent the Headhouse Shambles (weddings corporate events, etc)
Corporate sponsorships for live events
This funding is used for marketing and PR, street cleaning, graffiti removal, supporting the South Street mini-Police station, live events, and more
Events include the South Street Spring Festival, and others
In Fall 2018, SSHD is putting on a Mural Arts Festival
They were inspired by similar festivals in Montreal and Winwood Walls in Miami
They are going to take 15 walls in the SSHD and have a mural festival over the course of about 7 days
Visitors will be able to watch a wall go from blank canvas to beautiful masterpiece over the course of a week
Head on down to South Street!
Links
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
SSHD
info@southstreet.com
List of Philly RCOs
List of Philly BIDs (PDF)
Philadelphia Commerce Department