Regular litter and graffiti cleanup, new banners and holiday decorations are among the improvements in store for W. Broadway, under a plan approved by Minneapolis officials this week.
A council committee gave its OK to the plan from the newly created West Broadway Improvement District, which will collect funds from a special assessment paid by property owners in the area. It's expected to generate nearly $104,000 next year. The West Broadway Business and Area Coalition will chip in another $31,644 for the effort.
Business owners will get a chance to give the assessment a thumbs up or down before it becomes final, but officials say most appear to be supportive of the plans.
"We've had very very little dissension on this at all," said Jackie Cherryhomes, president of the WBC's board of directors. "Everybody has been really receptive, thinking it's a really good idea."
Council Member Blong Yang said boosting the area's status as a hub for business is crucial to the overall development of north Minneapolis.
While Yang noted that the money collected with the assessment is "not going to make that huge of a dent," he said it's an important step in the process.
"It's certainly better than zero," he said.
