Year Review

by thenumbers

Annual ReportFebruary 20, 2013 www.bixbyknollsinfo.com

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1 ExecutiveDirector

1 Full- time

Project Manager

1 Part - time

First FridaysCoordinator

5 Community Liaisons

11 Member Voluntary Board

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The mission of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association (BKBIA) is to

promote the interests of its professional, service and retail members, to enhance the common areas within the BIA district, facilitate the exchange of business information and ideas, and promote the highest business and ethical standards.

The BKBIA is responsible for improving the district as a whole.

The BKBIA has a storefront office space on Atlantic Avenue and is managed by an Executive Director, Project Manager, and a part-time First Fridays Coordinator. This small office is responsible for carrying out the mission of the association and creating new ideas to improve the district.

A business improvement district (BID) is a defined area within which businesses pay an additional fee in order to fund improvements within the district’s boundaries. BIDs offer local businesses the chance to join together and assess themselves for agreed upon improvements. BIDs provide cleaner streets and sidewalks, landscape beautification, enhanced security, capital improvement opportunities, pedestrian and streetscape enhancements, special events, and area marketing. BIDs offer supplemental services already provided by the municipality.

Total BKBIA Revenue Budget October 2011-September 2012$400,000

Administrative Expenses9% Salaries 38%

2 Full- time1 Part - time

On-going Projects8%

Work PlanProjects29%

Events16%

City of Long Beach Contract

$200,000

Assessment$132,000

Sponsorship & Events68,000

BKBIA ExpensesOctober 2011-September 2012

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

BKBIA

DLBA

BSBA

4th Street

EASBA

CVB

How does the BKBIA compare to other BIDs in Long Beach?

Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association

Downtown Long Beach Associates

Belmont Shore Business Association

4th Street-Retro Row

East Anaheim Street Business Association

Convention & Visitors Bureau

The BKBIA’s funding source has primarily been from assessment (member) fees plus sponsorship for events. This budget makes up the operating budget of

the association to sustain the monthly programs, marketing plans, events, and administration. However, over the last three years the BKBIA has been fortunate enough to receive redevelopment dollars. With the help of the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) and council offices, a Bixby Knolls Work Plan was created so that the BKBIA could pinpoint the needs of the district and make improvements along all corridors and apply these funds. The RDA has since been dismantled but the BKBIA has a contract in place with the City of Long Beach to continue the façade and other improvements to the district. We are currently in year two of a ten-year contract to receive $200,000 each year towards the BK Work Plan (see “Improving Bixby Knolls” section).

The long-term goal has been to re-connect our local residents to the business corridors, businesses to businesses, and businesses back to the residents so the entire Bixby

Knolls area is shopping, dining, and playing locally. The formula has been to

consistently bring as many people together each month in a number of different opportunities as a way to support our businesses. It's a very simple concept.

Over the past five years the BKBIA has created a number of new clubs, events, and programs to make a more “connected” district and community. Groups like Strollers, Literary Society, Kidical Mass, Community Happy Hour, and Supper Club are designed to bring people together to have a direct impact on an individual business or group of businesses each month. Clean-up days, tree plantings, and community parties at the Petroleum Club are all designed to be fun and have a social component to them. Faces become familiar and local residents get to know who the local

business owners are thus developing more support and new relationships. It is now commonplace that at Supper Club people leave their seats to socialize with friends and neighbors around the room. The hosting restaurant receives the benefit of the business that night while the true sense of “community” continues to build. Additionally, the photo contests, Cash Mobs, grand openings, anniversaries, block parties and odd events like the “Levitated Mass Rock Party” drive traffic to the corridors and particularly to the businesses hosting the events.

The approach has been to engage one business at a time and one resident at a time with these targeted events and programs. In the long run, there is more engagement and direct impact on our membership.

So the district is walking, eating, reading, biking, and celebrating together.

BIXBY KNOLLS

STROLLERS

1,000 miles

LITERARYSOCIETY

60 Books48

SUPPERCLUB

Dinners

73FIRST

FRIDAYSArt Walks

60COMMUNITYHAPPY HOURs

10Kidical MassBike Rides

5Dragster Expo& Car Shows

1“Rock”Party

GrandOpenings

2Block

Parties

5Tree & Menorah

Lighting Ceremonies1

Cash Mob

2Photo

Contests5Concertsin the

Park(ing Lot)

Anniversaries

5CommunityParties @

LB Petroleum Club

1Tea

Party

PoetryBox Book

9SIGNS ON THE

405

INTERSTATE

85Branding Sidewalk

Decals

8LandscapeProjects

At the same time the new programs and events had been launched, the district needed to receive a face lift. Fortunately, the BKBIA has received redevelopment funds to speed up and

further the renaissance in Bixby Knolls. The City Council offices championed large projects such as Marshalls in the Bixby Knolls Shopping Center, repaving Atlantic Avenue & Long Beach Boulevard, and adding the landscaped medians just to name a few. To further these improvements the BKBIA has been given a budget for specific line items such as Façade Improvements, Clean & Safe programs, Trees & Landscaping, Marketing, and Miscellaneous Special Events. These funds provide us the tools to: pinpoint the specific needs and improvements building by building (paint, signage, lighting, landscaping); hire a private security company for night patrols; and have a Clean Team remove weeds, graffiti and litter along the corridor three days a week. It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint and new lighting can do. Momentum in/for the district starts to build as one project after another is completed and the entire district is painted, groomed, lit up, patrolled, and promoted in the media. All the efforts create an attractive, activated district.

So the district is walking, eating, reading, biking, and celebrating together; AND getting a face lift building by building.

200trees

Planted

40properties

painted

31/2

miles of streets

repaved

hourscleaning &scrubbing

1200

4Eagle Scout

Projects

BKBIA

300gra�ti

tags removed

PROFESSIONALSERVICES

FeatureBanners

35

SmartphoneApp1

Community Arts Center

1

60Bike Racks

100Lights

Repaired

Once the neighborhood had been activated, connected, and started to receive a facelift, we needed to make sure the district was being promoted and the good stories

were being told. To gain more attention for the district we took a “by any means necessary” approach to get the word out. Press releases get sent out every Monday about anything new happening in the district. We also knew we had to take advantage of social media to broaden the reach of our messages. Facebook and Twitter have done wonders for us to promote and get news into the neighborhoods and to grow the First Fridays Artwalk into the size it has become. We increased the direct mailing and emailing to our membership via e-newsletters Banter and Buzz. Residents and members of the Strollers, Literary Society, etc., also receive these newsletters so more people can be “in the Know’lls.”

It is very important to work closely with our local media to tell the stories of progress. These include: The Signal Tribune, Uptown Gazettes, Press Telegram, LBPost, LBReport, and more. In 2012, Bixby Knolls was featured on the front page of the Los Angeles Times three times. In 2013, Bixby Knolls is now featured in all the hotels in Long Beach, South Bay, and Orange County via Travel Host magazine. A feature in Sunset Magazine is scheduled to run in April of this year. Other marketing tools such as our “Summer Shutters” photo contests, Poetry Box, Bixby Knolls merchandise, and our very own superheroes The Knolls Ranger and Bixby Belle have also put Bixby Knolls in the news. Our nine freeway signs promote Bixby Knolls to thousands of motorists each day on the 405.

So the district is walking, eating, reading, biking, and celebrating together; AND getting a face lift building by building, AND being better promoted by the BKBIA and local media to the membership and the community.

1400e-newsletters

2Neighborhood

Superheroes

LA Times

Signal-Tribune

Uptown Gazette

LB Business Journal

Sunset Magazine

110Pole Banners

defining Bixby Knolls

50,000Postcards to

members 1,620 FOLLOWERS

4,408TWEETS

WORD OF MOUTH

7,000

LIKES

With a small staff and limited resources but a desire to make Bixby Knolls thrive, we recognized that collaboration

was going to be a major key to success. The BKBIA partnering with as many people, groups, associations, and city agencies as possible was critical to the business district not operating in isolation. These partnerships continue the theme of connectivity in the district and throughout the neighborhoods. If we support the work and efforts of others, then others will help support our mission of promoting and supporting our businesses. City Council offices, city management, Long Beach Police Department, California Heights Neighborhood Association, resident volunteers, and many others have all contributed to district improvements.

As a result of our partnerships, new opportunities have added to the momentum and vitality of the district.

These include: tree plantings, events of all types, media buy-ins and coverage, landscape projects, graffiti and litter removal, and the growth of First Fridays. The BKBIA wanted to be a conduit and an energy source for progress. It cast its net beyond the official district boundaries to be more inclusive for the greater good.

So the district is walking, eating, reading, biking, and celebrating together; AND getting a face lift building by building, AND being better promoted by the BKBIA and local media to the membership and the community; AND collaborating as often as possible so the sum of all projects and improvements have reshaped Bixby Knolls towards becoming a truly vibrant and active business district.

Council ofBusiness

Associations

8th DistrictCouncil Office

Al Austin

7th DistrictCouncil OfficeJames Johnson

BKBIAMembership

Boy ScoutsGirl Scouts

Camp Fire USA

Long BeachSchools

Arts Councilof

Long Beach

RanchoLos Cerritos

Historical Society

ofLong Beach

Residents&

NeighborhoodAssociations

NorthPAC

RDA/Successor

Entity

UptownPartners

Long BeachPolice

COBA

Board of DirectorsPresident Servando Orozco, Orozco's Auto Service Vice President Mike Mora, Genus Services

Treasurer Alex Bikov, F & M Bank Secretary Christy Pardini, Bella Cosa BoutiqueDebbie Peurrung, Howard CDM Michelle Jouvence, Lucy's Boudoir Tim Van Horn, The Flamebroiler

Patricia Morales, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Anthony Wingfield,The UPS Store Cyndy Lippert, Orchard Supply HardwareCommunity Liaisons: Cheryl Jacobs, Mark Hawkins, John Royce, Andrea Testa, Roy Robbins

BKBIA Staff: Blair Cohn, Executive Director Krista Leaders, Project Manager Tokotah Ashcraft, First Fridays Coordinator

Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association 4313 Atlantic Avenue Long Beach, CA 90807 562-595-0081 www.bixbyknollsinfo.com

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