IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – A multi-site improvement program in Iowa City is growing in the South District. It is called SSMID or Self Supporting Municipal Improvement District. Under the new leadership. The Southern District could see more confidence for business owners there.
Tasha Lard actively supports small business owners throughout Iowa.
“I have clients from Johnson, Washington, Linn County, and I encourage them all to put their business cards here,” she told TV-9 as she showed a wall of business cards from other places in the area.
As a small business owner herself, running JD’s Beauty Supply in Iowa City’s South District, she knows how important it is to promote and bring in new customers.
“I know SMID will continue to build the South District as it has for years,” Lard said.
SSMID aims to improve and expand the business district here.
Angie Jordan has been working with businesses like JD Beauty Supply for years. Now that she’s been elected as the district’s executive director, she can take her efforts a step further to support the place she calls home.
“That could be from advocacy, going to city council meetings, researching different ordinances, amending them. To actually be there during the market and make sure that all the vendors and all the shoppers have what they need and that it’s a safe place,” Jordan said.
For SSMID those markets or events are already taken care of. Local commercial property owners pay their own taxes.
Business owners like Lard hope to use the money to easily add more signs to promote what’s available, but also to use more businesses themselves.
“We’ve started the process of doing a lot of business, but we’re looking forward to getting more businesses to come to this suburb, and especially with SMID, we welcome them every day,” Lard said.
The Southern District SSMID, the area highlighted here, will last for the next five years. Once completed, there will be an opportunity to proceed with a re-petition.
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