Castro Upper Market Community Benefit District

Cleaning services:sidewalk sweeping, power washing, and graffiti removal were provided along the frontages of each parcel within the Castro cbd's boundaries. This includes maintaining a dispatch number for property owners, merchants, and residents to call in cleaning-related problems on the sidewalk. The following data reflects some of the more significant benefits the Castro Community Benefit District cleaning services brought to the District: removed 118,684 pounds of trash and 4,530 hazardous needles; 12,212 instances of graffiti were abated and 11,059 incidences of hazardous waste were removed, cleaned, and sanitized.

Beautification and marketing: jane warner plaza, at the intersection of Castro, Market and 17th street, is kept as a welcoming public space; kept vibrant, clean with landscaping and public seating. We collaborate with other neighborhood organizations to host celebrations including harvey milk day, annual menorah lighting, and smaller scale events. Developed cbd annual report and distributed it to all the merchants and property owners in the District's footprint. Began work on a new retail leasing campaign, i'm available, with the goal of reducing ground floor commercial vacancies. When fully implemented, the i'm available campaign will provide a one-stop shop on the cbd's website for new entrepreneurs interested in properties which are available for lease in the District, and interested in understanding the strengths of the neighborhood and resources available.

Public safety and social services:through the Castro cbd's Castro cares program, provided 80 hours a week of Community ambassador services with ambassadors out 7 days a week. Community ambassadors are unarmed, trained, uniformed ambassadors on foot. Community ambassadors respond to a dispatch number for calls for assistance within the District footprint. They provide outreach and support to unhoused individuals on the street, collaborate with city homeless outreach services, assist merchants in the District with concerns they may have with quality of life issues and also provide hospitality and way finding services.