A sign for the RiNo Art District hangs along Brighton Boulevard on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Maia Luem/BusinessDen)
As the RiNo Business Improvement District comes up for renewal, a large group of property owners are calling for changes — although BID leaders say some of them are already underway.
Thirty-three property owners in the district sent a letter to the BID board and the RiNo executive committee on Feb. 8, voicing a “deep concern of how our property tax dollars that we pay into the RiNo BID each year are being spent.”
“We are greatly concerned that both the RiNo BID and the RiNo Art District have moved away from the original intent of our structure; which was to promote and advocate for small and local businesses (including artists that reside within RiNo’s borders), improve infrastructure and connectivity (which ensures access to our businesses and art studios), and keeping and promoting art and artists in the RiNo Art District,” the letter read.
The BID was established in June 2015 with a 10-year term. The renewal process will start this year, and Denver City Council will vote on whether to renew the BID next year.
The letter requested the BID and the RiNo executive committee do four things:
• Hire an independent consultant to do community outreach as part of the BID renewal process
• Add four property owners to the BID board
• Search for a new executive director for the RiNo Art District
• “Put the business back in the Business Improvement District.”
Tai Beldock owns a chunk of real estate on Walnut Street where her business, Erico Motorsports, operates. She’s been in the neighborhood since 1999 and said too much has changed in RiNo for the BID to keep operating as it does.
“When the BID was founded, RiNo was a different animal than it is today,” Beldock said.
Beldock said she pays $42,000 annually into the BID budget and that she wants to see local businesses supported through security, street cleaning and mobility improvements.
Tai and John Beldock are the owners of Erico Motorsports, at 2855 Walnut St. (Courtesy Tai and John Beldock)
She said Art District’s social media channels don’t do enough to promote businesses in the neighborhood, noting there was no post made or event held for Small Business Saturday last year.
“They seem to feel that art is the only thing that fuels why people come to the district,” Beldock said. “It’s entertainment, food and beverage — the art, it’s a bonus, but it’s not a driver.”
She also said the BID board should hire an executive director that can fundraise for district art projects such as Denver Walls, an mural festival the district hosted last year, instead of relying on the BID budget.
“We can no longer use the BID as a piggy bank,” Beldock said.
Tom Sprung owns Sprung Construction and real estate on 30th and Larimer Streets. He pays over $20,000 annually to the BID and said he’d like to see the budget spent on things such as adding lighting outside of businesses and solving parking issues.
Overall, Sprung said there’s a lack of transparency and communication on how property owners’ tax dollars are spent.
“There’s a lot of us large property owners that are footing a large portion of the BID budget and I want to know what’s going on,” Sprung said.
Beldock said she will support the BID renewal only if the mill levy is cut in half. Sprung said he doesn’t support renewal, although he expects it to happen.
“You can’t just turn the key on something like that,” Sprung said.
Not all signers of the letter, however, question whether the BID should get another 10 years.
“I think the BID should get renewed,” said Andrew Feinstein of EXDO Group Cos., the parent company of the ReelWorks event venue.
But Feinstein said the BID could better support smaller businesses in the district, which “are really getting squeezed in this city,” as property taxes and labor costs increase.
Other signers of the letter included Kyle Zeppelin of Zeppelin Development, Brent and Brad Farber of Elevation Development Co., Bernard Hurley of Menalto Development, David Zucker of Zocalo Development and Nikki Naiman of The Robert L. Naiman Co.
A stretch of Larimer Street in RiNo that is closed to vehicle traffic. (BusinessDen file)
Eight days after the letter was sent, the RiNo executive committee — which is made up of board chairs from the RiNo BID, RiNo Art District, the nonprofit Keep RiNo Wild and the RiNo General Improvement District — responded in a letter of its own.
“The themes raised in your letter are ones that we have already been aware of and, in all cases, taken steps to address,” wrote the committee members: Diana Merkel, Tracy Weil, Anne Hayes and Kirsty Greer.
The committee said it already planned to hire an independent consultant for the renewal process and that new BID board members will be chosen this Wednesday.
In regards to the request to better support small businesses, the committee wrote that the renewal process serves “as a wonderful opportunity to gather new ideas, insights and priorities.”
“Please know that the executive committee is always happy to discuss what this adage actually means to each of you,” the committee wrote.
The committee did not commit to looking for a new executive director. It noted that the district is currently led by Sarah Cawrse and Ayle Sharp, who were hired as co-executive directors on a six-month trial basis in December. They replaced former executive director Charity Von Guinness.
“We believe this co-leadership model could be more effective than a single leadership model for our District as it allows us to tap into the diverse expertise required to effectively execute on our Strategic Plan,” the committee wrote.
Cawrse and Sharp told BusinessDen the property owners’ letter highlighted a need to better communicate with stakeholders in the district.
“It wasn’t so much of a shock for us to receive,” Sharp said. “Naturally, questions are going to arise with a large transition.”
They plan to address the lack of communication by updating the Art District website to include more resources. They are also looking to establish a platform where residents, businesses and property owners can connect.
A sign for the RiNo Art District hangs along Brighton Boulevard on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Maia Luem/BusinessDen)
As the RiNo Business Improvement District comes up for renewal, a large group of property owners are calling for changes — although BID leaders say some of them are already underway.
Thirty-three property owners in the district sent a letter to the BID board and the RiNo executive committee on Feb. 8, voicing a “deep concern of how our property tax dollars that we pay into the RiNo BID each year are being spent.”
“We are greatly concerned that both the RiNo BID and the RiNo Art District have moved away from the original intent of our structure; which was to promote and advocate for small and local businesses (including artists that reside within RiNo’s borders), improve infrastructure and connectivity (which ensures access to our businesses and art studios), and keeping and promoting art and artists in the RiNo Art District,” the letter read.
The BID was established in June 2015 with a 10-year term. The renewal process will start this year, and Denver City Council will vote on whether to renew the BID next year.
The letter requested the BID and the RiNo executive committee do four things:
• Hire an independent consultant to do community outreach as part of the BID renewal process
• Add four property owners to the BID board
• Search for a new executive director for the RiNo Art District
• “Put the business back in the Business Improvement District.”
Tai Beldock owns a chunk of real estate on Walnut Street where her business, Erico Motorsports, operates. She’s been in the neighborhood since 1999 and said too much has changed in RiNo for the BID to keep operating as it does.
“When the BID was founded, RiNo was a different animal than it is today,” Beldock said.
Beldock said she pays $42,000 annually into the BID budget and that she wants to see local businesses supported through security, street cleaning and mobility improvements.
Tai and John Beldock are the owners of Erico Motorsports, at 2855 Walnut St. (Courtesy Tai and John Beldock)
She said Art District’s social media channels don’t do enough to promote businesses in the neighborhood, noting there was no post made or event held for Small Business Saturday last year.
“They seem to feel that art is the only thing that fuels why people come to the district,” Beldock said. “It’s entertainment, food and beverage — the art, it’s a bonus, but it’s not a driver.”
She also said the BID board should hire an executive director that can fundraise for district art projects such as Denver Walls, an mural festival the district hosted last year, instead of relying on the BID budget.
“We can no longer use the BID as a piggy bank,” Beldock said.
Tom Sprung owns Sprung Construction and real estate on 30th and Larimer Streets. He pays over $20,000 annually to the BID and said he’d like to see the budget spent on things such as adding lighting outside of businesses and solving parking issues.
Overall, Sprung said there’s a lack of transparency and communication on how property owners’ tax dollars are spent.
“There’s a lot of us large property owners that are footing a large portion of the BID budget and I want to know what’s going on,” Sprung said.
Beldock said she will support the BID renewal only if the mill levy is cut in half. Sprung said he doesn’t support renewal, although he expects it to happen.
“You can’t just turn the key on something like that,” Sprung said.
Not all signers of the letter, however, question whether the BID should get another 10 years.
“I think the BID should get renewed,” said Andrew Feinstein of EXDO Group Cos., the parent company of the ReelWorks event venue.
But Feinstein said the BID could better support smaller businesses in the district, which “are really getting squeezed in this city,” as property taxes and labor costs increase.
Other signers of the letter included Kyle Zeppelin of Zeppelin Development, Brent and Brad Farber of Elevation Development Co., Bernard Hurley of Menalto Development, David Zucker of Zocalo Development and Nikki Naiman of The Robert L. Naiman Co.
A stretch of Larimer Street in RiNo that is closed to vehicle traffic. (BusinessDen file)
Eight days after the letter was sent, the RiNo executive committee — which is made up of board chairs from the RiNo BID, RiNo Art District, the nonprofit Keep RiNo Wild and the RiNo General Improvement District — responded in a letter of its own.
“The themes raised in your letter are ones that we have already been aware of and, in all cases, taken steps to address,” wrote the committee members: Diana Merkel, Tracy Weil, Anne Hayes and Kirsty Greer.
The committee said it already planned to hire an independent consultant for the renewal process and that new BID board members will be chosen this Wednesday.
In regards to the request to better support small businesses, the committee wrote that the renewal process serves “as a wonderful opportunity to gather new ideas, insights and priorities.”
“Please know that the executive committee is always happy to discuss what this adage actually means to each of you,” the committee wrote.
The committee did not commit to looking for a new executive director. It noted that the district is currently led by Sarah Cawrse and Ayle Sharp, who were hired as co-executive directors on a six-month trial basis in December. They replaced former executive director Charity Von Guinness.
“We believe this co-leadership model could be more effective than a single leadership model for our District as it allows us to tap into the diverse expertise required to effectively execute on our Strategic Plan,” the committee wrote.
Cawrse and Sharp told BusinessDen the property owners’ letter highlighted a need to better communicate with stakeholders in the district.
“It wasn’t so much of a shock for us to receive,” Sharp said. “Naturally, questions are going to arise with a large transition.”
They plan to address the lack of communication by updating the Art District website to include more resources. They are also looking to establish a platform where residents, businesses and property owners can connect.
