Downtown Community Benefit District formed
Downtown property owners have voted to form a special assessment district with a goal of boosting commercial activity and giving a lift to business attraction and retention.
A first of its kind for Hayward, the Downtown Hayward Community Benefit District establishes an additional property tax assessment on its members to fund enhanced sidewalk and gutter cleaning, security, graffiti removal, street-scape improvements, and branding, marketing and other promotional efforts.
The new district is bounded generally by City Center Drive and Hazel Avenue to the north, D Street on the south, the downtown Hayward BART station to the west, and both sides of 2nd Street from Russell Way to C Street on the east.
Community benefit districts serve to replace a funding source lost to local government with the dissolution of local redevelopment agencies by the State of California. The districts are governed by nonprofit entities controlled by members. The Downtown Hayward Community Benefit District will file annual reports with the City of Hayward.
The new district’s first-year budget is approximately $600,000, and is expected to grow in future years with completion of three transformative downtown development projects—the Green Shutter, Maple and Main and Lincoln Landing.
