North Avenue businesses, commercial property owners and East Tosa residents are well on their way toward establishing a business improvement district, or BID, along the neighborhood’s main commercial thoroughfare, achieving a goal that had been long discussed but unrealized until now.
The newly created East Tosa Business Improvement District stretches from 60th Street to Wauwatosa Avenue and is intended to support businesses, promote growth and vitality along the avenue, advocate for safety and physical improvements and market North Avenue beyond the neighborhood.
The Wauwatosa Common Council approved the East Tosa BID proposal in October, enabling the new entity to begin receiving revenue through an assessment on the commercial properties within the district. On Jan. 27, Mayor Dennis McBride appointed the first 10 members to the East Tosa BID board, and a few additional members are expected to be appointed in February.
Anna Jarecki, who owns Nourish Skin and Sugar Studio, has been a leading voice in favor of the BID. As one of the inaugural board members, Jarecki told Tosa Forward News that the BID has some work to do in getting organized — its bylaws, for example, are still being finalized — but the new board members soon hope to take advantage of the recent momentum and buzz.
“It’s really neat to have people so excited about moving forward with the BID,” Jarecki said.
She has heard a lot of feedback already about the need to replace the sidewalk pavers that have made North Avenue less accessible for people with disabilities. Business owners also want to pursue more consistent and appealing branding across the district. Hiring a part-time director is a priority for this first year, though the new BID does not yet have a timeline for staffing.
And, yes, they have been discussing informally whether to launch or bring back certain East Tosa-flavored events, including the beloved but defunct Chili’n on the Avenue. Residents, though, are advised to be patient. Any events will be planned after seeking input from all businesses and property owners within the district. “To really involve the entire stretch of North Avenue is the goal,” Jarecki said.
The other inaugural board members appointed by the mayor in January and confirmed by the Common Council are Joey Carioti of Cranky’s, Joseph Galbraith of Galbraith Carnahan Architects, Melanie Landgraf of Tosa Yoga, Jeremy Maggio of Maggio’s Wood Fired Pizza, Natasha Meyer of the Well Red Damsel and residents Logan Glasenapp, Nolan Smith, Bobby Pantuso and Meg Miller.
Jarecki also noted that the new BID will not be starting from scratch, thanks to the work of Miller and others who were involved with East Tosa Alliance a decade ago during the earlier campaigns to create a BID.
Business improvement districts, under Wisconsin statutes, are run as independent entities similar to nonprofit boards, but they require city approval because they are funded by a tax that is levied on participating businesses and collected by the city on behalf of the BID.
Opposition from owners representing at least 40% of the assessed value of all contributing properties in the proposed BID would be enough to block formation of such a district, and in 2014 and 2015, campaigns to create an East Tosa BID fell short of rallying enough support from property owners.
Until now, Wauwatosa had only one BID, representing businesses in Tosa Village. In August 2025, a group of East Tosa businesses and property owners launched their new campaign, saying North Avenue, known for its restaurants and small shops, had lost its former momentum over the past decade. And when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, businesses did not have a strong advocate to help ensure the neighborhood continued as a vibrant draw for both neighbors and visitors from outside the area.
Under the East Tosa district’s operating plan, nonresidential properties on North Avenue are taxed at $1.50 per $1,000 in assessed value, up to a maximum of $5,000 each, to fund an annual BID budget of about $140,000, including a paid part-time director. It would not tax homeowners.
Some property owners on North Avenue objected to the BID and filed a petition seeking to block it, similar to the opposition that thwarted BID efforts a decade ago. Their initial petition appeared to have enough signatures to sink the BID again, but after continued appeals from proponents, some property owners reversed their opposition at the last minute, allowing the district to go forward.
“It’s really exciting,” Jarecki said. Now, the new BID board is preparing for its first formal meeting, likely at the end of February, with expectations of a big first year.
- David Paulsen, a Tosa East Towne resident and editor of Tosa Forward News, has more than 25 years of experience as a professional journalist. He can be reached at editor@tosanews.com.
