MELROSE—The Los Angeles City Council approved the renewal of the Melrose Avenue Business Improvement District (MBID) for 10 more years. The MBID will continue maintaining security, cleaning, marketing, parking, and management services along Melrose Avenue.

The project, which will begin in January 2019, allows for an annual budget of $609,370 and will be managed by the Melrose Business Improvement Association. The project will extend for a period of 10 years, until December 2028.

The renewal includes a $4 million grant to help update and improve the avenue for the many pedestrians that visit it. The grant will be used to create spaces for pedestrians to wait for transit options as well as for streetscape along the avenue. Improvements that have been planned include crosswalks, pedestrian lighting, landscaping, shade-providing trees, more seating, and better bus shelters.

The Melrose BID Security Ambassador’s service hours will be extended to seven days a week to accommodate the additional coverage requests from the business community. According to BIDNews, the Melrose Business Improvement District newsletter, the role of the Security Ambassador is to respond and handle more than 1000 incidents a year on Melrose Avenue, as well as provide visitor assistance, neighborhood watch, merchant support, and homeless outreach services.

With the new physical improvements being made, the Melrose BID will continue to develop and expand upon their social media presence to help promote Melrose Avenue as a top shopping, dining and entertainment destination. In Issue 3.5 of the BIDNews, Don Duckworth, Executive Director of Melrose BID stated that, “We’re excited to keep the momentum going as Melrose evolves into an even more vital and successful District and visitor destination.”