Enhanced Municipal Services District
From planting trees and supporting the arts to hosting events and telling the stories impacting our city, our team is committed to making Downtown Phoenix a place you love.
The Downtown Phoenix Enhanced Municipal Services District (EMSD) is funded by an assessment on all property owners within the 90+-square-block area of the Downtown Business Core – the hub of activity for one of the most dynamic Downtowns in the country. Our service area boundaries are: Seventh Street
west to Third Avenue; Union Pacific Railroad North to Fillmore Street and the Northern portion of the
Phoenix Bioscience Core. There are additional properties outside the EMSD that receive services through fee-for-service contracts.
Formed in 1990, the EMSD exists to strengthen Downtown Phoenix development and to encourage an environment of activity, energy and vitality. To accomplish this, Downtown Phoenix Inc. provides a variety of enhanced services to this core area through the provision of direct services, marketing and economic development.
Services:
● Hospitality + Homeless Outreach (Ambassadors)
● Streetscape + Urban Design (Clean + Green Team)
● Transportation + Parking Coordination
● Marketing + Advertising
● Branding
● Public Relations
● Event Facilitation
● Business Support + Development
● Community Development
The EMSD was created under Arizona State Statute 48-575 and is also referred to as a Business Improvement District. Assessments are controlled by the City of Phoenix, which chooses to contract with Downtown Phoenix Inc. for the provision of these services. Downtown Phoenix Inc. is guided by a volunteer EMSD advisory board representing a cross-section of Downtown stakeholders, including property owners, tenants, merchants, cultural and nonprofit organizations, city and county management, and elected officials. The EMSD work plan and budget are approved annually by the EMSD Advisory Board before undergoing the formal approval process, including a public hearing, by the Mayor and City Council.