SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the Excelsior Community Benefit District Steering Committee announced the creation and establishment of the Excelsior Community Benefit District (ECBD) today. With a 63% weighted majority vote, property owners approved the formation of the Excelsior Community Benefit District. The CBD’s objectives will ensure the cleanliness, physical maintenance, and support marketing initiatives in a significant portion of the Excelsior commercial corridor along Mission Street.
Community Benefit Districts (CBDs) are public-private partnerships in which property and/or business owners elect to make a collective contribution to the maintenance, development, and promotion of their mixed-use neighborhood through a special assessment to the property or business. CBD/BIDs are uniquely positioned to address hyper-local, neighborhood-specific needs.
The Excelsior CBD will raise approximately $349,500 in annual special assessments to properties to carry out its management plan over the next ten years. The boundaries of the District include approximately 195 parcels located on approximately 17 whole or partial blocks on Mission Street between Silver Avenue and France Avenue, and along Onondaga Avenue between Alemany Boulevard and Mission Street. The Excelsior Community Benefit District will focus on these key responsibilities:
- Cleaning to include maintenance teams that sweep, scrub, and pressure wash sidewalks to remove litter, graffiti, and trash;
- Landscaping and maintenance such as weeding of trees wells and sidewalk cracks throughout the district;
- Beautification such as temporary and/or permanent art, including performing art to enhance the commercial corridor;
- Placemaking initiatives to activate and utilize public spaces within the District; and
- Marketing to promote and bring visitors and new businesses to the commercial corridor while supporting local small businesses.
“Community Benefit Districts have worked to keep our neighborhoods and merchant corridors clean and safe. These public-private partnerships help address the pressing needs and challenges of the community while prioritizing the well-being of neighborhood residents and small businesses.,” said Mayor London Breed. “I am excited, that with support from my Office of Economic and Workforce Development, that the Excelsior’s commercial corridor will see cleaning, beautification and more programs that celebrate and support the vibrancy of the Excelsior.”
“I am proud of the public-private partnership between the community, the City, and the OEWD team that created this important economic development tool to the Excelsior,” said Sarah Dennis Phillips, Executive Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “The Excelsior Community Benefit District is one of 16 CBDs that are contributing millions in assessment revenues to support cleaning, safety and other economic development services while strengthening and improving the corridor for everyone to enjoy.”
Community Benefit Districts strive to improve the overall quality of life in targeted commercial districts and mixed-use neighborhoods through a partnership between the City and local communities. Once an area has voted to establish a CBD, local property owners are levied a special assessment to fund improvements to their neighborhood. The funds are administered by a non-profit organization established by the neighborhood.
“The Excelsior Community Benefits District has been 7 years in the making and has the opportunity to be transformative for the commercial corridor.” said Supervisor Ahsha Safai, “My office, in partnership with OEWD and community leaders, has made incredible strides to improve, beautify, and promote the corridor to help it thrive.
“The Excelsior Action Group has worked for decades to promote and improve the commercial corridor through numerous initiatives. We are excited about the formation of the Excelsior CBD as it represents an investment from our property owner community in the corridor,” said Maribel Ramirez, executive director of the Excelsior Action Group. “We have been involved in this process since the beginning. It was a great opportunity to work with our community and OEWD. We are excited to see the CBD materialize and provide needed service to the area. We look forward to continuing to work with everyone to create a thriving Excelsior commercial corridor.”
The Excelsior Community Benefit District was formed after a period of 5-7 years, based on recommendations outlined within the Excelsior & Outer Mission Neighborhood Strategy, a joint vision developed by the community and city partners including OEWD and the Planning Department. The results of this inclusive, community-driven process determined that both cleanliness and safety were ongoing needs on the commercial corridor. The establishment of a Community Benefit District along the Excelsior Commercial corridor was considered a strategy, goal, and key next step following the completion of the strategy. In early 2019 merchants, property owners, and other stakeholders began reaching out to each other and OEWD about forming a CBD in the area. In the following fall, the Steering Committee initiated a series of meetings to discuss establishing the Excelsior CBD in line with the strategy. Due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, work was suspended on the project, but recommenced in early-2022.
“The Excelsior Outer Mission District is truly a gem. This CBD will not only boost cleanliness but vitality and quality of life for future generations to come,” said Lea Sabado, the owner of Excelsior Coffee. “As a small business and young entrepreneur, a new parent, and neighborhood resident this was heavily needed for our community and our corridor. This sets the foundation for future wins.”
Community Benefit Districts emerged in San Francisco in 1999 and grew rapidly following the passage of Article 15 of the Business and Tax Regulations Code and the creation of OEWD’s technical assistance program, which was designed to incubate this innovative economic development strategy. Today there are 16 San Francisco-based CBD/BID districts that represent the diversity of the City’s vibrant neighborhood commercial corridors, including Union Square, North Market/Tenderloin, Fisherman’s Wharf, Noe Valley, Castro, Mid-Market, Yerba Buena, Ocean Avenue, Civic Center, Western SoMa, Lower Polk, Middle Polk, Japantown, East Cut, the broader Financial District, and the Excelsior.
More information on the Excelsior Community Benefit District and the Management District Plan can be found at: oewd.org/community-benefit-districts
About Office of Economic and Workforce
The Office of Economic and Workforce Development advances equitable and shared prosperity for San Franciscans by growing sustainable jobs, supporting businesses of all sizes, creating great places to live and work, and helping everyone achieve economic self-sufficiency. For more information, please visit www.oewd.org