Business Improvement Districts: Harnessing the Collective Power of Stakeholders
By Chris Bernardo, President/CEO, Commercial District Services LLC Delivering value and having an impact with limited resources is always a challenge. Smaller BIDs are often presented with issues similar to the municipalities in which they operate. The problem can often be traced to the imbalance created between the funds needed to provide a level of service that will create meaningful impact and the assessment revenue generated to create the budget. Even...
Chris Bernardo Featured on Nationally Acclaimed “Strong Towns” Podcast
Check out this recent podcast with our CEO, Chris Bernardo. Chris discusses Special Improvement Districts with Chuck Marohn from Strong Towns, a nationally-recognized non-profit shaping the conversation on growth, development and the future of cities.
CDS Highlighted in Downtown New Jersey Article
"At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, CDS worked to implement creative methods to support local businesses by increasing public and outdoor seating and dining areas and maintaining clean and safe public spaces for visitors. Through placemaking, CDS’s clients have been able to achieve these goals, bolstering their local economies and strengthening their districts’ social fabric." Downtown New Jersey's most recent article highlights some of the state's downtown-centered efforts to promote...
Commercial District Services Welcomes Danielle Russell as Creative Placemaking and Communications Manager
Jersey City - Commercial District Services (CDS) is pleased to announce that Danielle Russell has joined the firm in the newly created position of creative Placemaking and Communications Manager within the Jersey City office. Ms. Russell will anchor the company’s placemaking and place management activities focusing on the design and implementation of supplemental seating areas, activating public spaces, advocating for inclusivity in planning public spaces, and elevating the voices of those...
Client Spotlight: Bergen Avenue Pedestrian Mall in Journal Square
JERSEY CITY, NJ - This week the Journal Square Special Improvement District (JSSID), in partnership with the City of Jersey City, installed a public seating area that provides extra outdoor seating for local restaurants and other businesses in response to the COVID-19 crisis and the associated state mandated limitations placed on indoor activity. The seating area replaces what was once a “right turn only” lane along Bergen Avenue that was notorious for...
Client Spotlight: New Banners and Fall Plantings on Mt. Prospect Avenue
The Mt. Prospect Partnership recently updated their banners and planters in anticipation of a slow, yet steady recovery from the COVID-19 shutdown and quarantine this past Spring and Summer. The messaging for the updated 75 banner system is meant to underscore the strength and resilience of Newark's North Ward neighborhood with the "Stronger Together" and "Open for Business" messages; while the new Fall planters are a continuation of the Partnership's annual...