Authorization 2025-2035
For more than 20 years, the PBID – otherwise known as the Downtown Partnership Clean & Safe – has been addressing the needs of Downtown property owners, residents and businesses through best practice enhanced services to make our urban neighborhoods more clean, more safe and more vibrant. These enhanced services are funded by a special assessment paid by its ratepayers – property owners within the 275 blocks included in the district.
Funds raised through the PBID through annual special assessments allow ratepayers to share the cost of bringing services like sidewalk pressure washing, trash pickup, nuisance abatement, unhoused care services, graffiti removal and more to the streets and sidewalks around their properties. As an extra amenity available exclusively to properties within the district, ratepayers also benefit from PBID programs that increase their property value, sidewalk vibrancy, and desirability such as public art, events and activations, and landscaping.
With the PBID in place, there is a local contact for ratepayers to call for assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. In addition to responding to property needs, PBID staff members called Ambassadors can be seen in Downtown every day providing enhanced services, assisting community members, and identifying the needs and challenges of each urban neighborhood to constantly improve the services they provide.
On top of first-hand experience from working on the streets and sidewalks of Downtown year-round, the PBID has spent the past two decades listening to ratepayers and the community to ensure services are tailored to each neighborhood and the changing needs of properties in urban environments.
The PBID includes six Downtown neighborhoods over 1.15 square miles, 275 blocks and more than 13,000 unique parcels.
To ensure PBID services are meeting ratepayer needs, the district is renewed by a petition and vote of all assessed property owners every 10 years.
As the first step in renewal, ratepayers are encouraged to sign the petition to continue cost-sharing for the additional maintenance, safety, beautification, and unhoused care services that benefit their locations.
Click here to view the Downtown PBID’s Management District Plan and Engineer’s Report.
Graffiti & Stickers Removed
Blocks Power Washed
Pounds of Trash Picked up
Individual Wellness Check
Business Visits
Directional Assistance
Planters Maintained
Trees Trimmed
Trees Planted
A Property and Business Improvement District (PBID) is a tool available to property and business owners to improve a downtown or other commercial area. It is a public-private partnership organized for the improvement of a specific geographic area. In California, PBIDs are formed pursuant to the Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994. A PBID is a special benefit assessment district designed to raise funds within a specific geographic area. Funds may be raised through a special assessment on real property, businesses, or a combination of both, and are used to provide supplemental services beyond those provided by the City.
For more than 20 years, the San Diego Downtown Property and Business Improvement District (PBID) otherwise known as Clean & Safe has been listening to and addressing the needs of residents, business owners, and employees through best practice enhanced services to make Downtown’s neighborhoods more clean, more safe and more vibrant.
As part of its operating agreement with the City of San Diego, the PBID is responsible for providing services to property owners paying the assessment above and beyond those otherwise available from any existing government entity within the 275 blocks that make up the district.
If you live, work, or play in the 275 blocks managed by the PBID, services like sidewalk pressure washing, trash pickup, graffiti removal, safety checks, safety escorts, beautification and public art projects, unhoused care services, and more are provided by the PBID to benefit ratepayers.
The Downtown San Diego Property and Business Improvement District’s boundaries include 275 blocks of Downtown San Diego. Those blocks include more than 13,000 unique parcels over 1.15 square miles making Downtown’s PBID one of the largest in the country.
The approximate boundary encompasses the majority of Downtown San Diego and generally includes parcels situated east of Pacific Highway, south of Ash Street from Pacific Highway to Front Street, south of I-5 from Front Street to 10th Avenue, south of Ash Street from 10th Avenue to Park Boulevard, and south of C Street from Park Boulevard, west of I-5, and north of Commercial and Harbor Drive. For benefit apportionment purposes, the PBID has been divided into benefit zones.
The PBID is divided into six benefit zones which include the Columbia District, City Center (FKA: Core), Cortez, East Village, the Gaslamp Quarter, and the Marina District. The boundaries of each benefit zone are drawn to include all parcels that receive a direct advantage from the same level of services and improvements. Each benefit zone receives different level of services based on the needs and conditions in that zone and historic service allocations to that zone.
As part of its Management District Plan with the City of San Diego, the PBID is required to provide maintenance, safety, and beautification services for the 275 blocks of Downtown included within the district. Those broader categories of services cover everything from servicing dog bag stations to pressure washing sidewalks and providing directional assistance to installing new public art murals. Each year, the PBID conducts outreach to ensure these services are continuing to meet the unique needs of Downtown’s neighborhoods.
Learn more about the services offered here: Maintenance, Safety, Beautification, Unhoused Care
Staff members of the PBID – called Ambassadors – are in Downtown 24 hours a day, 7 days a week providing public services, assisting community members, and observing the needs and challenges of each urban neighborhood to constantly improve the services they provide.
The PBID boundaries are narrowly drawn to include only commercial, public, residential, industrial, and nonprofit parcels that receive a direct benefit from the improvements and services provided.
The annual cost to each parcel owner is determined by an assessment methodology based on parcel characteristics such as parcel or building square footage, location, zoning, and linear street front footage. The assessment will appear as a separate line item on annual property tax bills prepared by the County of San Diego. Parcels that do not receive property tax bills will receive a separate invoice from the City of San Diego.
The assessment methodology, assessment expenditures and FY22 assessment totals are included in our FY22 Annual Report.
On top of first-hand experience from working on the streets and sidewalks of Downtown year-round, the PBID has spent the past two decades listening to our assessed property owners and the community to ensure services are tailored to each neighborhood and the changing landscape of urban environments.
In addition to homeless outreach, the PBID also leverages its expertise and connections to support Grow Urban – an initiative to replace all the missing street trees in Downtown. We know a vibrant urban canopy contributes to the health and beauty of our neighborhoods in addition to being a positive contributor to property value. To date, we have replaced more than 200 trees in Downtown primarily through additional funding secured by the PBID.
In addition to the services funded by property owner assessments, the PBID uses its expertise in Downtown’s most pressing issues and track record of success to secure funding for additional benefits for the district. This includes funding for an outreach team specifically dedicated to helping connect people experiencing homelessness within the PBID boundaries to services, resources, and housing.
To ensure PBID services are meeting property owner and community expectations and needs, its contract is renewed by a ballot of all assessed ratepayers every 10 years. Its budget is also reviewed and approved by the San Diego City Council annually. With these extra layers of transparency and accountability, the PBID is committed to consistent improvement and delivering value and impact to property owners and everyone who enjoys Downtown.
Commercial and residential property owners within the district will receive a ballot and a copy of the new PBID Management District Plan, which outlines the boundaries, services and costs of the renewed district.
If City Council determines that there is a majority support of the ballots returned, they may approve and renew the PBID.
Click here for the PBID’s FY23-24 Annual Report or below for more reports and information.
Sign up to receive the latest updates on the PBID’s impact on Downtown as well as the latest projects and intiatives to benefit our urban neighborhoods.
