Downtown Improvement District ("DID")
Map of the DID & Designated Downtown Information
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BaBB is proposing that the Downtown Improvement District boundaries be identical to those of the Vermont Downtown Program Designated Downtown. Click for Map.
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The Vermont Downtown Program web page provides more information on the program. BaBB is the Town of Brattleboro's designated downtown development organization.
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Summary of benefits available to designated downtowns prepared by BaBB.
Statutory Authority
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Vermont law provides for the creation of special assessment districts in Title 24 Chapter 87: SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.
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The authority to create special assessment districts is noted in Chapter 76A: HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT. See in particular subsection (a)(16)
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The Town of Brattleboro Charter provides for the creation of a special assessment district in Article VI, Section 3 B which states : “B. Special tax districts, for the purpose of raising revenue for specific projects, may be established and special taxes may be levied on the taxpayers in those districts. (See 24 V.S.A. Chapter 87)”
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In its 2002 application for Re-Designation under the Vermont Downtown Program the Town stated that “The Town and BABB have begun researching the creation of a Special Assessment District, coincident with the Downtown Development District, to begin in 2005. It is expected that this would provide approximately one-third of the funding needed each year to help sustain BaBB and its downtown revitalization effort for the long-term.”(emphasis added)
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The Brattleboro Selectboard adopted an ordinance creating the DID on June 7, 2005.
The Main Street Program
BaBB is a participant in the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Main Street Program. This program offers a structured and proven approach to downtown revitalization. The following are distilled highlights of their work.
Beneficiaries of Downtown Revitalization
The Facts of Life about Commercial District Revitalization
2003 Economic Statistics: The Main Street Program's Success