Union Square, one of the most popular tourist attractions in San Francisco, may expand its boundaries to cover 27 blocks of the downtown shopping region in addition to the 10 blocks that are currently part of the district. This area would generate $3 million dollars from tax revenue paid to the city by each business occupying the additional 27 block radius. Each business owner's annual tax would be assessed on the square footage of their space and would have to be payed for a ten year time period. The expansions and tax revenue would help clean up dirty streets, improve public safety and uplift the image of one of San Francisco's most popular areas with marketing and promotions.
The Greater Union Square Improvement District is one of several city improvement districts that have popped up in the last several years. These groups are created by area business and property owners interested in using the tax revenue for services beyond what the city provides. Although many businesses support the idea of imposing a new district in the Union Square area, there are some businesses that are reluctant to spend more money on improvements that they can make themselves. The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to allow the businesses within the new proposed boundary of Union Square to vote on the creation of a district for their area within 60 days.
A 'yes' vote on the Greater Union Square Improvement District could mean more tourist traffic to areas of downtown which miss the hustle and bustle of the immediate Union Square shopping crowd. This is exciting news for many tourists who travel to San Francisco to shop, dine and sight-see within the city's Union Square area.
