Specific Services:

Urban Works specializes in organizing nonprofit business organizations such as special service districts, business improvement districts, business associations, and chambers of commerce.

Special Service Districts / Business Improvement Districts 

Urban Works is the preeminent adviser for Special Service Districts in the State of Minnesota. 

A Special Service District (SSD) is a tool to make a business district more competitive.  More generally described as Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), such districts exist in nearly all major cities.  In fact, today more than 1,000 BIDs exist in the US.

More technically, a Special Service District is a geographic based funding mechanism (a special assessment district) which creates a reliable stream of resources each year all of which are redirected back to benefiting commercial property owners in the form of high-level services (cleaning, safety, marketing, maintenance of public spaces, etc.) focused on improving the business district's level of economic vitality.

Urban Works principal Michael McLaughlin was the architect of the state's largest Special Service District, the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District (DID) with an annual budget of more than $6 million.  Urban Works continues to advise the DID as it focuses on making Downtown Minneapolis Cleaner, Safe and Greener.

For the past five years, Mr. McLaughlin also served as the administrator of the Nicollet Mall Advisory Board which oversaw the care and management of the Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis with a $1.2 million annual budget.  Until the formation of the Downtown Improvement District, the Nicollet Mall was the State's largest Special Service District and dated back to 1963. 

Currently, Urban Works also advises more than half a dozen other Special Service Districts in Minneapolis with combined annual budgets of more than $750,000.

Urban Works serves as an interface between the business community and broader community stakeholders, including: Minneapolis City officials, Minneapolis Community Development officials, neighborhood organizations and institutions, in addition to facilitating other community organizations and initiatives.

Urban Works provides client organizations with an internal communications mechanism for Board officers and directors, association members, as well as, the broader business community.  Communications are primarily facilitated through organizational websites, timely, high-quality information pieces such as newsletters, bulletins, faxes, telephone discussions, websites, and face-to-face discussions.

Urban Works provides client organizations with the human and technical resources necessary to initiate, develop and implement a variety of special projects, including:

• Special Service District Implementation and Management

• Marketing/Promotional Directories and Wayfinding Materials

• Streetscape Plan Development and Implementation

• Zoning Code and Municipal Ordinance Issues

• Business District Identity Initiatives

• Website Development and Hosting

Urban Works completes necessary administrative tasks such as organization financial management, membership database management, meeting minute production, mailings and other ancillary services.

Urban Works assists client organizations in recruiting new members through direct recruitment, facilitating recruitment initiatives, and membership development projects.