BIDs, DDAs & Other Districts

For more than 30 years, we have worked across the country to create more than 90 business improvement districts (BIDs), downtown development authorities (DDA), and other districts that collectively generate more than $100 million annually to maintain, market, and activate downtowns and other commercial areas. Selected project examples are featured below.

Houston, Texas

Houston HDMD Renewal (2025): P.U.M.A. supported Downtown Houston+ in the successful renewal of the Houston Downtown Management District, one of the nation’s largest BIDs with more than $17 million in annual assessment revenue. P.U.M.A. developed the HDMD Service Plan, establishing a new 10-year term, simplifying the budget structure for greater flexibility, aligning services with organizational goals, and refining the assessment methodology to reduce year-to-year volatility while generating new district revenue.

Pasadena, California

Downtown PBID Renewal (2025): Building on a client relationship dating back to 2015, P.U.M.A. led the process to renew the PBID in Old Pasadena. Informed by an updated Strategic Plan, the renewed district adds resources for safe and clean initiatives, plus support for a new business liaison position. For the first time in 25 years, structural changes were introduced to align the PBID with downtown market and real estate dynamics, including reducing service zones from five to three, and simplifying the assessment method. Property owners supported renewal of the district by a wide margin, increasing the annual assessment budget to $2.1 million. Photo courtesy of the Old Pasadena Management District.

Berkeley, California

Downtown PBID Renewal (2025): P.U.M.A. helped to pioneer the PBID concept in Downtown Berkeley in 2010 and we have supported subsequent renewals of the district in 2015 and 2025. The most recent renewal was informed by an updated Strategic Plan and implements post-pandemic priorities to improve safety, maintain public spaces, launch a new initiative to activate vacant storefronts, and strengthen partnerships with the University of California and the City. Property owners supported the renewal of the district by a wide margin, increasing the annual assessment budget to $2.6 million. Photo courtesy of the Downtown Berkeley Association.

Johnstown, Colorado

Johnstown DDA (2025): Johnstown is a rapidly growing rural community on the I25 corridor. After completing a plan to guide investment into their historic downtown and future adjacent development, the Town engaged P.U.M.A. to evaluate the best special district option to achieve the plan vision. P.U.M.A. partnered with Public Alignment Communications on a community process that resulted in recommending a DDA, which was approved by electors in November 2025. The DDA Plan of Development synthesizes multiple downtown-related plans into one document, focusing on bolstering downtown’s historic core while preparing for thoughtful growth.

Aurora, Colorado

Aurora DDA (2024-2025): The East Colfax area in Aurora – containing Colorado’s most diverse Zip code – faces myriad challenges. P.U.M.A. was contracted by the City of Aurora to (1) create an action plan reflecting community priorities and (2) evaluate and help form one or more new non-City entities to help implement the plan. P.U.M.A. worked with local leaders to create a plan rooted in robust input, ultimately identifying a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Community Development Corporation (CDC) as the best entities to carry out the plan. A successful DDA election in November 2025 resulted in a first of its kind model for a DDA focused on community empowerment and anti-displacement.

Lafayette, Colorado

Old Town Tomorrow - LURA Transition Plan (2024): P.U.M.A., along with Studio Seed, worked with the Lafayette Urban Renewal Authority (LURA) to evaluate potential financing tools when their existing Old Town district neared its expiration. Through broad community input, a downtown development authority (DDA) was identified as the preferred mechanism. P.U.M.A. created a Plan of Development as a guide, and a grassroots campaign resulted in the formation of the DDA by a wide margin.

Denver, Colorado

DDDA Expansion and Plan of Development (2024): P.U.M.A. worked with City staff to update the Denver Downtown Development Authority (DDDA) Plan of Development and expand the district to the entire central business district. The original DDDA was formed to support the rehabilitation of Union Station, which was completed in 2014. Over 81% of eligible voters approved the expansion, which will generate more than $500 million over the district’s term to support public and private investment in downtown.

Asheville, North Carolina

Downtown Asheville BID Formation (2024): P.U.M.A. was retained by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce to create a business improvement district (BID) for Downtown Asheville. P.U.M.A. conducted stakeholder outreach, developed an operational plan, provided estimates for a clean and safe program, and worked with City staff to determine baseline services and guide the community through the formation process. The BID was approved in June 2024.

Frederick, Maryland

Ambassador Program Funding Evaluation (2023): The Downtown Frederick Partnership sought PU.M.A.’s assistance in helping to identify sustainable, long-term funding for its new Ambassador Program. P.U.M.A. conducted stakeholder outreach to understand the merits and ambitions of the program, and best practice research on comparable programs in other downtowns regionally. With this intel in mind, the report identified 13 different funding options, detailed pros and cons for each, and rated each option using a four-pronged evaluation tool.

Spokane, Washington

Downtown Spokane BID Management Plan (2023): P.U.M.A. worked with the Downtown Spokane Partnership on two parallel processes to complete both a BID management plan and a new organizational strategic plan. The BID management plan offers suggested changes to BID services and its work program, three distinct options for BID assessment methodology moving forward that address longstanding challenges, expansion recommendations, and governance recommendations.

Norfolk, Nebraska

BID Feasibility & Downtown Management Plan (2023): P.U.M.A. was hired by the City of Norfolk to create a management plan and explore options for creating a new special assessment district in downtown Norfolk. Over the last 10 years, downtown has emerged as an economic hub, cultural anchor, and regional destination. The plan seeks to ensure this momentum is sustained by identifying opportunities to streamline the management and financing of improvements in downtown Norfolk.

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville BID Feasibility Report (2023): P.U.M.A. was retained by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in early 2023 to evaluate the feasibility of creating business improvement districts (BIDs) throughout Asheville. Three districts were evaluated – Downtown, the River Arts District, and West Asheville. The process consisted of district field work, stakeholder outreach in each area, property database development and analysis, and the creation of a feasibility report that gave each district a “BID-readiness” score. The report recommended that Downtown was BID-ready, while the other two districts were not at the time. In late 2023, Downtown moved forward towards the next step in BID formation with a goal to form by mid-2024.