In 1999, local business and property owners, residents and the acedemic and medical
communities organized and lobbied the City of Pittsburgh to establish the Oakland
Business Improvement District. Property owners within the district agreed to a
self-assessed tax to undertake economic development initiatives and services that
supplement those provided by the City of Pittsburgh. In 2004, with the unanimous
support of Pittsburgh City Council and the local community, OBID successfully renewed
its status as a Business Improvement District. The OBID has developed a variety of
programs to strengthen the district and to encourage positive investment.
The boundaries of the district encompass approximately 50 blockfaces along Fifth and Forbes
Avenue, between Craft Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard. The OBID unites
approximately 80 property owners and 135 businesses with the University of
Pittsburgh, UPMC Health System, Carlow College, Magee Women’s Hospital and
Phipps Conservatory as pioneers in planning and implementing improvements in
central Oakland.
In its first years, the OBID focused on getting Oakland clean by sweeping up litter, sanitizing public infrastructure, and removing fliers and graffiti. While still the BID's primary mission, the OBID also currently pressure washes sidewalks to remove gum and stains, provides a code education liaison to merchants, works with the Oakland Task Force to implement select projects, provides promotional materials and organizes special events, and works with property owners and merchants on economic development strategies and development projects.
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