Branson, CID seal deal to reimagine 76 Strip

On April 28, the Branson Board of Aldermen approved the First Amended and Restated Cooperative Agreement with the 76 Entertainment Community Improvement District (CID). After intensive discussion, including public input, the Agreement was unanimously approved by the Board. 

The following is a baker’s dozen, in a question-and-answer format, covering some of the Agreement’s highlights:

1. What is the main purpose of this Agreement? The First Amended and Restated Cooperative Agreement is a legal framework for major changes to the W. 76 Country Boulevard Entertainment District. The main goal is to increase safety and grow local businesses by burying ugly overhead power lines, improving water systems, building better sidewalks for pedestrians and providing features that will enhance the tourists’ experience.

2. Who are the two main groups making this deal? The Agreement is a legal partnership between the City of Branson and the 76 Entertainment Community Improvement District (CID).

3. How is it being paid? The project is funded primarily by a special 1 percent sales tax placed on retail shopping inside the district’s boundaries. This tax brings in about 5 million dollars every year, and the district currently has over 19.5 million dollars in its fund balance.

4. What exactly is the CID supposed to do? The CID is required to keep the 1 percent sales tax in place to fund construction and ongoing maintenance. They also handle administrative paperwork, such as preparing an annual budget, holding public board meetings and filing financial reports with the state.

5. Does the CID actually build the new road and sidewalks? No, the CID does not build or manage the physical infrastructure. The City of Branson is entirely responsible for the design and construction of the project. Once the concrete dries, the City will officially own all of the new public improvements.

6. What special features does the CID get to approve? While the City handles construction, the CID has the right to review and approve specific creative developments known as “Wow Features.”

7. What is the cost of the additional Wow Features? They have a budget of $14 million.

8. What is considered a Wow Feature? Things such as a massive glowing gateway sign spanning over the road, a “wavy” sidewalk, and relaxation zones with wooden porch swings and weathered steel planters.

9. What upgrades are being made to increase pedestrian safety? The City is installing special, high-tech crosswalks called HAWK crossings. These features include overhead traffic lights and a safe concrete refuge island in the middle of the road. Adding these specific crossings is proven to reduce pedestrian crashes by up to 69 percent.

10. What does the City get in exchange for doing all this work? The City keeps a 2 percent administrative fee for collecting the sales tax on behalf of the district. The Agreement also guarantees the City a maintenance payment equal to exactly 10 percent of the district’s total sales tax revenues to help pay for the ongoing upkeep of the road.

11. What kind of routine maintenance does the City have to perform? The Agreement requires the City to follow strict rules. On a regular weekly basis, city workers must sweep the streets and sidewalks and mow the grass. They must also continuously monitor the road’s condition to ensure the pavement remains in good condition.

12. What are some of the strict reactionary duties for the City? The City has to act as a rapid-response emergency cleaning crew with very tight deadlines, which the Agreement calls reactionary items. For example, city workers must scrape dropped gum off the sidewalks within 72 hours and remove graffiti within 24 hours. They must also fix potholes within three days, repair damaged signs within 72 hours, and fix minor traffic signal issues within two hours.

13. Why is the CID paying the City extra to maintain West 76 Country Boulevard? Doesn’t the City have a responsibility to maintain streets within its boundaries? What is currently West 76 Country Boulevard within the CID was formerly State Highway 76, maintained by the state at no expense to Branson taxpayers. It was taken into the City so that the CID could make the modifications to the roadway necessary for its project. Part of the 10% that the CID pays the City is for the maintenance of West 76 Country Boulevard, which, but for the CID, would still be a state highway and maintained by the state at no expense to the residents of Branson.