BUILDING OUR BID
MISSION
We serve to support and uplift local businesses in Downtown Poughkeepsie, enhancing quality of life for residents, workers, and visitors. We drive economic development, attract investment, and champion engaging experiences that inspire pride in our city.
VISION
To establish Downtown Poughkeepsie as the Hudson Valley’s premier commercial and cultural hub and create a vibrant, welcoming, and accessible urban center where people gather and businesses prosper.
VALUES
· Collaboration – We work in partnership with businesses, residents, and civic leaders to create shared success.
· Innovation – We champion creative ideas and adaptive solutions to meet the evolving needs of our district.
· Inclusivity – We embrace the diversity of our community and strive to create a downtown where everyone feels welcome.
· Impact – We focus on initiatives that create prosperity for our community.
· Experience – We are committed to enhancing the downtown experience through beautification, public art, and community events.
· Stewardship – We are responsible stewards of the resources entrusted to us, ensuring transparency and accountability.
BID AREAS OF FOCUS
The Downtown Poughkeepsie Business Improvement District will focus on providing services that impact four key areas: beautification, safety and security, business climate, and downtown identity.
Beautification includes things like on-street garbage pickup, adding additional litter receptacles to the district, planting new trees and maintaining current trees/tree pits, hanging baskets of flowers and blooming planters throughout the district, and offering power washing/graffiti removal services.
Focusing on safety and security means working to purchase and install additional on-street cameras and lights, forming a downtown Ambassador corps, and advocating for additional walking patrols from City police.
Supporting the business climate is about advocating for ordinance enforcement and changes to parking, working to attract commercial real estate tenants and fill vacant storefronts, organizing community volunteer days, monitoring, and improving Civic Center Plaza parking deck, finding a partner to establish trolley service downtown, and working with community stakeholders to provide additional support services for the unhoused.
It’s also important that the BID works to create an identity for the commercial core, establishing and hosting signature events, installing light pole banners and other branding throughout the downtown, and commissioning additional public art and murals.