Image courtesy of Downtown Boston BID

The organization that represents property owners in a 34-block section of downtown Boston received a five-year vote of confidence for its role in supporting the neighborhood economy.

Downtown Boston Business Improvement District members this week unanimously approved the extension of the special services district, which is funded through an additional assessment on properties.

The organization has an annual budget of $7 million and has been in the forefront of sponsoring events designed to encourage more downtown foot traffic.

A recent example was a weekend block party June 3-4 that drew an estimated 9,000 visitors to Temple Place. The street was closed to pedestrians and city officials suspended open container laws to enable visitors to buy food and alcoholic beverages to-go at 10 restaurants and bars.

“For the first time, we shut down a street that isn’t usually pedestrianized, and debuted a novel way of entertaining people,” said Michael Nichols, who took over as BID President in October. “It was a slice of New Orleans.”

The BID also has supported downtown food vendors’ requests to extend operating hours as late as 3 a.m.

Incorporated in 2010, the BID’s role has evolved since COVID to emphasize economic recovery in a neighborhood that has shouldered some of the city’s biggest effects from declining in-office work and tourism.

Foot traffic has recovered to 70 percent of 2019 levels, according to BID data, including 26 consecutive months of year-over-year increases.

The BID boundaries include Downtown Crossing, the Ladder District and portions of the Financial and Theater districts.