This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Property owners in Boyle Heights’ industrial corridor, near the Sixth Street Bridge, are proposing a plan to fund private security, street cleaning and landscaping, a move that could significantly change how the area is maintained.

The proposed plan would cover an area stretching from 1st to 7th streets and between Mission Road, Clarence and Anderson streets where sound stages, film studios and warehouses sit alongside the public housing complex of Pico Gardens and a residential neighborhood near Dolores Mission Church. Property owners say the city has failed to adequately provide services to keep the area clean and their employees safe. Meanwhile, some community advocates and nearby residents are wary of the area’s growing concentration of entertainment venues, just across the river from the Arts District, which have drawn crowds for electronic music festivals and special events like Olivia Rodrigo’s album release pop-up.

David DaCosta, of the 18-acre Ace*Mission Studios, is among those pushing for what’s known as a Business Improvement District, or BID, in the area that proponents refer to as the Boyle Heights Industrial Flats, which runs adjacent to the Los Angeles River. 

At a meeting at Dolores Mission Church in May, DaCosta touted the effort as a rare private-public partnership that should be cherished. “There’s a natural relationship between us all, a natural path for us all to want to work together,” he said.

Not everyone is convinced. The proposal comes as Boyle Heights continues to grapple with tensions over displacement and who benefits from development. Supporters see privately funded services as a solution to neglect and public safety. Opponents say it could eventually lead to gentrification and over-policing.

To Elizabeth Blaney, with Union De Vecinos, a local branch of the Los Angeles Tenants Union, the BID would “put control of public space in the hands of those businesses who are part of the BID.” 

What is a BID?

Business Improvement Districts are self-funded associations that collect revenue through property taxes within a geographically defined area. 

In this case, the proposed BID encompasses over 160 parcels that are owned by more than 70 property owners within the so-called “flats” area adjacent to a series of railroad tracks. The proposed tax would only apply to commercial property owners within the industrial district — not residents of nearby apartments and single-family homes.

Property taxes collected through the BID would fund landscaping services, including weed removal throughout the proposed district, as well as sanitation personnel who would sweep up trash and litter from sidewalks and gutters seven days a week.

Security services may also be provided “to ensure that petty crime and vandalism are reduced” within the district, according to the BID plan. Proponents say they will work toward “minimizing the impact of unhoused individuals” within the district by collaborating with social services. 

Funds would also support marketing efforts, website development and public relations campaigns to promote business and activities within the BID.

The Boyle Heights Industrial Flats BID would operate for five years, from January 2027 to December 2031, and is projected to generate $6.9 million over that period, with about $1.2 million in its first year. If approved, the BID would be managed by a nonprofit.

Residents express concerns

Residents and community members have mixed feelings about the proposal.

On one hand, Boyle Heights residents like Margarita Amador see it as a win “when someone in the community wants to invest to improve our quality of life.” 

Amador grew up in the area at a time when gang violence was at its peak. “No one would want to come into that side of town,” Amador said. Redevelopment and investments have changed the neighborhood for the better, she added. “We’re not in a position to turn away dollars,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ana Hernandez, a Pico Gardens resident, is wary of stakeholders behind the BID proposal. 

Businesses in the industrial area, she said, host late-night events, including raves, that disrupt their quality of life. Residents have complained of loud parties and music late into the night. Their dogs get scared, and they have to shut their windows, one neighbor said. 

“They don’t bring business for the community. What they want are earnings,” she said. “The ones who dominate the streets are people who are not from the community.”

Homeowners like Sylvia Sifuentes aren’t necessarily opposed to the BID. 

Instead, Sifuentes wants residents who live near the proposed district to receive clearer information about how the plan would operate and who it would affect. Sifuentes, 67, has lived near Dolores Mission since she was born and only recently found out about the proposed district.

The meeting in May was her formal introduction to the BID proposal. Initially, Sifuentes incorrectly heard homeowners like her would also be taxed. She also wondered why a tax was necessary. The city, she noted, already provides graffiti removal and trash pick-up services.

Union De Vecinos has organized a petition opposing the BID that organizers said has garnered more than 300 signatures. The petition argues the BID could contribute to rising rents and parking congestion.

Blaney, the organizer with the group, finds the BID problematic because property owners would “get to decide what goes on there” instead of the community as a whole.

“They get to decide the aesthetics of the neighborhood. They get to decide who can hang out and at what hours on the street. They can hire security on bikes and cars that patrol and enforce and harass.”

Proponents respond

Alfred Fraijo, Jr., whose law firm Somos Group is helping with the BID formation process, said proponents are looking at “alternative modes” of creating public safety. Fraijo, who is from Boyle Heights, acknowledged at the May meeting that communities like Boyle Heights have suffered from over-policing.

He said providing better lighting could make the area more inviting and walkable. “Having eyes on the street is a way to do it,” he said. “We want to partner with organizations that are already doing the good work [in] Boyle Heights, creating intersection safety for children crossing the street.”

Proponents like Mark Borman of Bridge & Corner, which hosts film production in the area, said the BID could address environmental concerns impacting the well-being of their tenants.

“We suffer [from] illegal dumping, often of toxic materials,” Borman said at the May meeting. “There are zero actions, zero street services that we received. Our streets are not swept. Our buildings are tagged … on a daily basis. Our cars are broken into regularly.”

Borman said property owners call the city’s 311 system to no avail. “As a property business owner, I have tenants … who tell me that they do not feel safe going to their cars after work,” he said.

For DaCosta, the BID could make all the difference in retaining employees.

“As an employer, if you employ people and they are driving early in the morning or they are working late … and if the area is not safe and secure, it’s difficult to recruit people, and it’s difficult to keep people,” DaCosta said. “Why would anyone want to come and work in an area that’s not safe?”

What happens next?

The proposal’s next stop is the city’s Economic Development and Jobs Committee on Tuesday. 

If approved, it would advance to the full City Council for consideration before ballots are sent to property owners within the district. After about 45 days, the city will tally those votes, and the City Council will decide whether to formally establish the district.