The IF Downtown Development Corporation is understaffed and underfunded. Can it be saved?
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IDAHO FALLS — If you’ve ever had a magical holiday memory at St. Patrick’s Day on Park, admired the fresh foliage on the sidewalks, or cherished that downtown Idaho Falls feel, there is one organization that makes it all happen.
Kerry Hammon, the executive director of the Idaho Falls Downtown Development Corporation, has a very important mission: to create memories for locals in downtown Idaho Falls.
“I was born and raised here,” says Hammon. “My mom worked downtown, and (at the time) downtown was not a place you wanted to come hang out in.”
According to Hammon, downtown Idaho Falls was failing in the 80’s. With the addition of the Grand Teton Mall in 1984, people were flocking to Ammon to spend their time and money, leaving the local businesses downtown pinching pennies.
“It didn’t have beautification, it didn’t have events, it didn’t have the improvements, the facade or the signage or anything like that,” says Hammon. “So, the city council at the time said, ‘We need to form a nonprofit of some sort.'”
In 1997, the Idaho Falls Downtown Development Corporation (IFDDC) was formed as a 501(c)(6) non-profit, with the mission to manage the Downtown Idaho Falls Business Improvement District (BID) on behalf of the City of Idaho Falls.
“We’re similar to the Chamber of Commerce, as far as taxing,” says Hammon. “But the Chamber of Commerce has members that pay for it, and we have property owners that pay into the district.”
Over the last 30 years, the IFDDC has worked to reinvigorate downtown Idaho Falls and has achieved significant success. Where vacant buildings once sat dusty and empty, thriving restaurants and local businesses now flourish.
In today’s day and age, thousands of locals celebrate downtown with events like Oktoberfest, Crawloween, and the Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration.
The corporation has worked to beautify sidewalks and alleys and to oversee over 200 hanging flower baskets, ground pots, and holiday decor on 90+ lampposts.
Obviously, this takes a bit of money. And in the current economy, Hammon says they are running out of ways to realize the beauty of downtown Idaho Falls.
“The IFDDC is funded first through the BID property owners,” says Hammon. “Unfortunately, that budget is not keeping up with inflation.”
About 215 property owners of various downtown buildings currently sit as members of the IFDDC, paying into the BID to fund the corporation.
“This year’s BID, because it’s based on property values and assessments, has been assessed at $119,000, so that’s my operating budget,” says Hammon. “That comes from the BID, which the property owners have to vote on both renewing and changing the parameters.”
The IFDDC also receives money through sponsorships and grants, but even with these, they are still struggling to get by, with just three employees.
“I’m underfunded, and I’m massively understaffed. We do the flowerpots and making flower baskets and stuff like that, but that goes up with inflation just like everything else, to the point where it’s using up too much of our BID funding,” says Hammon. “That’s where that money comes from for beautification, it comes from the money received from the property owners.”
Hammon says Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation also contributes to the beautification program to help cover the cost of labor to water the plants, but even with that help, inflation is still crushing the corporation.
“It’s getting to a point where I can’t move. I don’t have funding to do other things,” says Hammon.
For the property owners, each member pays a different fee based on their square footage.
“Right now, the district is at a .002 mill rate, and a cap of $2,500. That means none of the 215 property owners pay more than $2,500 a year,” says Hammon.
Due to inflation, Hammon wants to increase the mill rate. But some property owners don’t love that, as it would cost them more in taxes.
“We’re getting creative so that downtown doesn’t end up back in the 1980’s again. Because we’re there,” says Hammon.
Every ten years, the members of the IFDDC vote to change boundaries and decide on the parameters for how the corporation should be run.
Read the BID’s Renewal Resource Guide here.
Next year, on the 30th anniversary in October, the IFDDC is up for a bid renewal, to decide if the BID is still worth keeping around.
“Without the BID, the funding for downtown beautification (flower baskets, flowerpots, and holiday wreaths), events, lobbying, Façade Improvement, and downtown-specific marketing (local and tourism) would disappear, leaving Idaho Falls without a dedicated city and state advocate for its historic center,” says the IFDDC website.
Hammon says the members will need to come to a majority vote to keep the taxing district active.
“In order for the bid to renew, we need to have 50% plus one (of the members to vote yes),” says Hammon.
EastIdahoNews.com reached out to multiple property owners in the BID who are part of the IFDDC, and only one got back to us.
John Page, the business and property owner of Page Insurance in downtown Idaho Falls, located at 365 Park Avenue, says he would be in favor of keeping the IFDDC.
“I think the Downtown Development Corporation has been good,” says Page. “One of the things I love about Idaho Falls and working downtown is there’s a sense of community here, and we get to know our neighbors.”
Page says his company used to be based in Ammon, but since the move downtown, he has found that the IFDDC has provided him with benefits that have led to significant success.
“I’ve been down here for five years, and I like it downtown, I like what they’ve done,” says Page. “I know they tax the property owners an extra tax to fund it, but I think it’s worthwhile for us.”
Many of the property owners live out of state and are difficult to contact.
For Hammon, it’s important to clear up misinformation about the IFDDC to achieve her goal of keeping it running and increasing its budget.
“There’s a lot of misunderstandings, and things that got convoluted over the last 30 years,” says Hammon. “As you change mayors, as you change council, as you change directors, as you change board members, things get lost in translation.”
The main thing Hammon says that is misunderstood is the funding aspect.
“I want to renew. I’m going after the money outside of the BID. If I can’t get it within the BID, I’m going to go outside and get it with sponsorships,” says Hammon.
To learn more about the IFDDC and the upcoming vote, click here.