What is the Downtown Laredo Business Improvement District?
The legal name for the Laredo Downtown Business Improvement District is the Central Laredo Municipal Management District (CLMMD). It was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as a local governmental entity to supplement—never replace—city services in the downtown area. Under its enabling law, the district exists to promote employment, commerce, transportation, housing, tourism, safety, and public welfare within its boundaries.
How it’s structured. The district is governed by a nine-member board serving staggered four-year terms. Directors are appointed by Laredo’s City Council from nominees who live, own property, or represent property interests within the district. Board meetings are public.
What it can do. By statute, CLMMD can plan and deliver downtown improvements and services; create or partner with a nonprofit to implement projects; and contract for law-enforcement services with the City of Laredo or Webb County to enhance public safety in the district. The district has no eminent-domain power.
How projects are funded. Texas law allows municipal management districts to fund work with special assessments, grants, sponsorships, and—if approved by voters—ad valorem (property) taxes and bonds.
How it fits with other tools. District boundaries can overlap with a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ), and the city may grant TIRZ funds to the district for eligible projects—subject to city approval. The district’s role is explicitly to supplement city services, not supplant them.
Note on naming: locals sometimes say “Centro Laredo” or “Downtown Laredo BID” in everyday conversation, but the legal entity established by state law is the Central Laredo Municipal Management District.
What Services Can an MMD Provide (Under Texas Law)?
Under Chapter 375 of the Texas Local Government Code, an MMD can fund and deliver a broad set of public-realm improvements and supplemental services that directly benefit property in the district, including:
Clean & Safe operations: litter and debris removal, power-washing, graffiti abatement, security/ambassador programs, and public health & sanitation services.
Streetscape & mobility: sidewalks and crosswalks, lighting, signage/banners, landscaping, pedestrian malls and plazas, bicycle/pedestrian enhancements, and (with constitutional limitations) road and transit-related improvements.
Parks & public spaces: parks, plazas, fountains, public art, and historic area improvements.
Transportation & access: off-street parking facilities, bus terminals, heliports, and mass transit systems (ad valorem taxes for mass transit require constitutional compliance).
Economic development & marketing: business recruitment, promotion of the area, events, cultural programming, and congestion relief initiatives.
Utilities (as public-realm projects): drainage, solid waste, water/sewer, power/cogeneration, and chilled water facilities where applicable.
Important guardrails: District actions must follow statutory procedures; MMDs do not have eminent domain power; and any bonds payable from taxes or ad valorem taxes require voter approval and/or constitutional compliance.
What an MMD Can Do for a Downtown?
Well-run management districts concentrate resources where they’re most visible and valuable. Typical downtown outcomes include:
1) A cleaner, safer, more welcoming street experience
Daily ambassador crews, coordinated safety presence, and rapid-response graffiti removal change first impressions and support foot traffic. Examples:
Downtown Houston Management District deploys Clean Team crews, Public Safety Guides, and quality-of-life teams, with rapid graffiti removal and hospitality-forward street presence.
Downtown Denver BID staffs Public Safety Ambassadors up to 20 hours/day across its core corridor, in close partnership with police and social services.
2) Upgraded public realm and amenities
Streetscape lighting, trees and planters, plazas, wayfinding, and maintenance of key parks and squares spark private investment and longer visits.
Center City District (Philadelphia)—operating since 1991 across 233 blocks—maintains lighting, landscaping, banners, and multiple parks while running cleaning, safety, and outreach services.
3) Visible marketing and activation
District-led events, branding, data dashboards, and retail support help fill vacancies and sustain momentum.
Times Square Alliance tracks pedestrian counts and documents districtwide economic impact (0.1% of NYC land area but outsized contributions to jobs and output), showing how concentrated place management influences a city’s economy.
4) Documented public-safety benefits
Peer-reviewed studies link BIDs to measurable crime reductions, especially for robbery and certain disorder categories:
Los Angeles BID study: ~12% reduction in robbery and ~8% reduction in total violent crime, on average (effects vary by location).
A 2022 evaluation of UK BIDs found 10–11 fewer crimes per quarter after BID formation, with stronger effects where security was a budget priority.
A 2024 systematic review concluded BIDs commonly reduce property and nuisance crimes; evidence on violent crime is mixed but often positive for robbery.
5) Support for mobility and access
Where authorized, districts partner on road, transit-adjacent, and parking improvements that make downtown navigation easier for visitors and workers.
6) Economic development & business support
Targeted recruitment, small-business assistance, coordinated leasing outreach, and market data help grow a resilient tenant mix. (Philadelphia and Times Square are leading examples of data-rich, market-facing BID practice.)
Proof that it scales. Across the U.S., there are 1,000+ BIDs/MMD-type districts, and they’ve been widely credited with improving cleanliness, safety, and economic performance in downtowns—from Times Square and Union Square to midsize cities—by pooling assessments from commercial property owners to fund consistent services.
A Downtown Laredo Business Improvement District organized under Texas’s MMD framework can target resources to the blocks that matter most—cleaning and safety first, then streetscape, parks, lighting, and programming—while coordinating with the City to avoid duplicating services. The legal toolkit (assessments, grants, impact fees, and—if ever pursued—voter-approved tax-backed bonds) lets the district sequence quick wins and long-horizon projects in a transparent, accountable way.