Mt. Airy Business Improvement District moves to beautify Germantown Ave

By mid-year, the Mt. Airy business district should look a bit spiffier.

Two new projects funded by the Mt. Airy Business Improvement District (BID) — the “Clean and Green” program and a planter plan — seek to beautify Germantown Avenue from Cresheim Valley Road to Washington Lane. The BID is now seeking individuals, businesses or organizations that want to tidy up or “green” an area visible from Germantown Avenue — residential side streets included. Interested parties must submit a one-page application about their proposal.

BID has $3,000 to hand out, and will be collecting one-page applications on a rolling basis through September. The organization hopes to have most beautification projects started by April or May.

“We don’t want to put all of that money into one pot,” says BID’s executive director Hollie Malamud-Price. “We would like to fund as many projects as possible in order to have a substantial impact.”

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BID encourages applicants to pursue sustainable projects that will benefit the community for years to come, like planting perennial flowers. BID also nudges property owners to apply, so they can complete projects they normally wouldn’t have the money for.

Additionally, BID has a springtime planter project in the works. Though the organization hasn’t finalized a budget for it, the project will provide planters to businesses, so they can store greenery for most of the year, and holiday foliage during the winter months.

BID hopes the two projects will put Mt. Airy on par with other Northwest neighborhoods.

“We haven’t had planters here like they’ve got in Chestnut Hill, Manayunk or Roxborough,” says Malamud-Price, adding, “We’re building off the success of past beautification projects, and trying to further enhance the beauty already visible on the Germantown Avenue corridor.”

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