Prominent UWS Business Improvement District Gets $300K In City Funding

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A prominent Upper West Side Business Improvement District was just approved for $300,000 in additional city funding.

The added funding was approved during a City Council Committee on Finance meeting Wednesday morning.

The bill approved will increase the amount that three BID's across the city can spend in the following years, including the Columbus Amsterdam Business Improvement District, which oversees the area along Columbus and Amsterdam avenues from West 96th to 110th streets.

Peter Arndtsen, the manager of the Columbus Amsterdam Business Improvement District, told Patch that the $300,000 will be spent over the next three to four years.

In terms of what the money would go toward, Arndtsen told Patch that it would be used to help with the organization's day to day work on the Upper West Side and to pay current employees more and bring on another position.

"We have been running seven days a week with the Open Street, we want to increase people's wages, upping those wages for the street team to clean the sidewalk and curbs, and we're looking to bring on more people to help make it (Open Street) more functional," Arndtsen told Patch.

"We're putting in long hours, and need some help," Arndtsen said.

In terms of larger plans for the new money, it will take some time before plans are finalized.

"There are bigger plans that will be needed to look at when we have a new person in place, and when we get more ideas from stakeholders (local residents and businesses) and community organizations," Arndtsen said.

The Columbus Amsterdam Business Improvement District provides a wide range of services on the two avenues between 96th and 110th streets.

• Sidewalk Sweep
• The Bloomingdale Restaurant Association
• Commercial Vacancy Listings
• Historical Tours and Neighborhood History Group
• Bloomingdale Family Day Festivals
• Flower Plantings
• Tree Care and Tree Guard Maintenance
• Holiday Lighting
• Art Installations
• Graffiti Removal Program
• Neighborhood Security

You can find out more information about the Columbus Amsterdam Business Improvement District on its website.