Another Philadelphia neighborhood stands divided on Neighborhood Improvement District

We saw it in Chinatown. Some residents wanted to create a Neighborhood Improvement District. Others didn’t want to pay additional taxes without knowing exactly where that money was going.

In North Central Philadelphia, similar tension is brewing. An NID has been proposed for the area between Broad and 19th streets and York Street and Girard Avenue. A steering committee has been formed. Property owners have come on board to support the initiative.
But residents, particularly those who’ve been caring for their neighborhood long before the idea of the NID was floated, are wary. Do you put your neighborhood in the hands of the city and property owners in the hopes they know what’s best?

You can read about the NID and the dilemma today in this Philadelphia Weekly feature story. City Council will hold a public meeting on the matter in March.