Ed Fuentes

Historic Downtown BID Director Russell Brown (second from left), seen in this June, 2007, photo with CCA Director Carol Schatz, developer Tom Gilmore, and gallery owner Bert Green.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Congratulations are in order to Russell Brown and the Historic Downtown Business Improvement District, who this morning received city council unanimous approval on the BID's renewal.

In order to be formed or renewed, BIDs must receive signatures from the property owners that would be paying over half of the BID's assessment. Normally, that's a lengthy process. Brown told Council today that the Historic Downtown BID was able to reach fifty percent in ten days, and sixty percent in two weeks.