CIDBIA Renewal Process

CIDBIA is a neighborhood investment fund

Created by local ratepayers, governed locally, and invested directly into the Chinatown–International District.

CIDBIA dollars

Stay in the district
Cannot be diverted to other neighborhoods
Cannot be absorbed into a general fund
This is pooled capital for neighborhood management

The Chinatown–International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA) is entering its standard renewal process, which occurs on a regular cycle and is governed by the City of Seattle. This page is intended to serve as a central source of information for business and property owners as the process moves forward.

What is a Business Improvement Area (BIA)?

A Business Improvement Area is a defined district where businesses and property owners collectively fund services and programs that support the neighborhood. These services typically include:

Neighborhood cleaning and sanitation
Public safety coordination
Advocacy and business support
Community activation and placemaking

CIDBIA is the nonprofit organization responsible for administering these services within the district. For more information, visit the City of Seattle Business Improvement Area webpage.

What does “renewal” mean?

A renewal continues the existing Business Improvement Area and its services. The renewal process is similar to the formulation process:

Planning. A phase spearheaded by the BID Steering Committee and supported by OED, designed to ensure business buy-in and public support for the district.
Outreach. The BID Steering Committee is required by statute to achieve a petition signed by at least 60% of the assessed valuation of total assessment within the proposed boundaries. If the percentage is not reached, BID organizers can hold additional meetings.
Legislative Authorization. A statutorily mandated approval process involving multiple layers of review by government agencies and elected officials.

Who is part of the BID Steering Committee?

Coming Soon.

Myth vs Fact

MYTH: “CIDBIA replaces City of Seattle services.”

FACT: CIDBIA does not replace City services. The City of Seattle continues to provide baseline services and enforcement. CIDBIA provides supplemental, neighborhood-specific services that the City is not structured to deliver day-to-day. The City sets the rules. CIDBIA makes it work.

MYTH: “If we didn’t have CIDBIA, the City would just do this work anyway.”

FACT: City services are citywide, complaint-driven, and capacity-limited. CIDBIA delivers predictable, proactive, CID-specific service—not because the City doesn’t care, but because it operates at a different scale.

MYTH: “CIDBIA assessments are just another tax.”

FACT: CIDBIA assessments are locally governed and locally spent.

They are:

Budgeted publicly
Overseen by ratepayers
Used only in the district

Unlike general taxes, you can see exactly where the money goes. CIDBIA is a Neighborhood Investment Fund.

MYTH: “The BIA replaces City services—I’m paying twice.”

FACT: CIDBIA does not replace services provided by the City of Seattle. City departments still deliver baseline enforcement and infrastructure.

CIDBIA provides supplemental neighborhood management—the kind of coordination the City is not structured to deliver at parcel or block scale.

MYTH: “Sanitation is the City’s job—why are we paying for it?”

FACT: The City of Seattle does its job at a citywide scale. CIDBIA does its job at a neighborhood scale. CIDBIA exists because neighborhoods have different needs.

Daily cleaning where needed
Pressure washing timed to foot traffic
Rapid response before conditions escalate

The City provides the baseline. CIDBIA raises the standard.

MYTH: “CIDBIA is just private security.”

FACT: CIDBIA Safety Ambassadors are not police and do not enforce laws.

They provide:

Visible presence
De-escalation
Wayfinding and assistance
Early intervention before issues become emergencies
Track patterns that we can escalate to the City of Seattle

Police respond to incidents. Ambassadors reduce how often incidents happen.

MYTH: “Events like Night Market would still happen without CIDBIA.”

FACT: The City issues permits and ensures safety. CIDBIA produces culturally specific, neighborhood-run events that reflect the CID’s businesses, residents, and history.

If the City ran it, it would be a city event in the CID. Because CIDBIA runs it, it’s a CID event for the CID.

MYTH: “We could just start a new organization instead.”

FACT: Starting over would mean:

New legal structure
New governance
New City approvals
Lost institutional knowledge
Service disruption

Renewal protects momentum, relationships, and leverage—while still allowing improvements.

MYTH: “CIDBIA only benefits certain businesses.”

FACT: CIDBIA services benefit the entire district:

Businesses
Property owners
Employees
Residents
Visitors

Cleaner, safer, more active streets help everyone—even those who don’t directly participate in events.

MYTH: “Renewal means nothing can change.”

FACT: Renewal is the accountability moment. It’s when priorities, service levels, boundaries, and governance can be adjusted.

Renewal doesn’t mean everything stays the same. It means we keep what works—and fix what doesn’t.

MYTH: “Events are just marketing—nice, but not essential.”

Events are demand signals.

CIDBIA-led activations:

Increase foot traffic during off-peak periods
Improve district narrative during entitlement and leasing phases
Signal active neighborhood management to investors and tenants

If the City ran them, they’d be generic. Because CIDBIA runs them, they’re place-specific.

MYTH: “The CID is risky anyway—what difference does a BIA make?”

FACT:

Risk is never eliminated—it’s managed.

CIDBIA reduces:

Operational uncertainty
Visibility gaps
Coordination failures
Reputational drag

This shows up as:

Fewer escalations
More predictable conditions
Stronger neighborhood signaling

MYTH: “This only benefits retail businesses, not property owners.

FACT:

CIDBIA benefits asset holders by:

Supporting tenant retention
Stabilizing street conditions
Improving perception during tours, underwriting, and marketing
Acting as a buffer between individual owners and City process

Neighborhood management is a shared infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is any action required right now?

No. This stage of the process is informational. Future steps and opportunities to engage will be communicated clearly.

Have decisions already been made?

No. Renewal details are developed over time and informed by engagement and City requirements.

Where can I ask questions?

Questions can be submitted at tuyen@cidbia.org, and additional information will be shared at upcoming meetings.