DOWNTOWN : Businesses on Broadway to Be Charged Cleanup Fees

Businesses along Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles will be charged from about $200 to as much as $7,000 a year to help pay for increased cleanups, security measures and promotions under a special assessment district approved by the Los Angeles City Council.

The establishment of the Broadway Business Improvement District, the first of its kind in the city, drew sharply mixed reaction along one of the city’s oldest commercial streets.

Some business operators said the payments will be worthwhile to spruce up the neighborhood and attract more customers. But others said they are already financially strapped and the payments could put them out of business.

Dozens of written protests were filed with the city, but not enough to stop the district, which can be halted only by an appeal from owners of businesses who represent more than 50% of the area’s sales. The district, between 2nd and 9th streets, will officially come into existence on July 1. A board of business people will help decide how the estimated $500,000 annual budget will be spent.