Third time’s the charm for downtown Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood.

A majority of Ballpark property and business owners voted to make Ballpark a general improvement district, or GID, an area where properties are taxed to fund neighborhood improvements.

In the election, 499 eligible property owners or residents voted in favor of a Ballpark district, or 87%, according to preliminary results. The ballot measure had 74 votes against it.

It wasn’t on the Denver ballot but held through a special election conducted by law firm Spencer Fane.

Election judges are set to finalize the count by Nov. 13 and certify the vote by Nov. 14.

Ballpark was considered a “donut hole” in the city’s core, which is covered by several improvement districts. Upper Downtown and RiNo are business improvement districts, or BIDs, which tax commercial properties. Ballpark would differ by taxing both commercial and residential properties.

Local leaders originally tried to make Ballpark a BID in 2016 but failed as city officials didn’t believe the area’s 200 businesses could fund the district’s ambitions. They tried again in 2019 as a GID – but the pandemic delayed efforts – and the neighborhood’s frustrations with how city leaders tackled rising homelessness and violent crime worsened.

Ballpark’s makeup creates a unique district.

The area is filled with parking lots, empty historic buildings, residential properties, flashy developments around Coors Field and a busy dining and nightclub scene.

It also has one of the highest concentrations of tax-exempt nonprofits, making up about a third of properties in the proposed district. The baseball stadium is also tax-exempt.

The district got support from some of these tax-exempt organizations such as the Colorado Rockies and Denver Rescue Mission, which have worked on voluntary agreements to contribute to the tax district’s budget.

The combined tax collected from residential and business properties in the area would generate $1.3 million for the proposed district during its first year.

The district would begin operating in 2025.

“Congratulations to the Ballpark Denver stakeholders who have worked so hard to form a General Improvement District (GID) to fund special services,” said Jamie Giellis, neighborhood-revitalization consultant with Denver-based Centro Inc. on LinkedIn. “A definitive 499-74 election tonight. I couldn’t be more honored and proud to have assisted in their work to get this effort to the finish line!”

A majority of the district’s budget would fund hiring unarmed safety ambassadors trained to help de-escalate incidents and direct people who may need social services. They would also interact with business or property owners if a person who is homeless begins to disrupt their business.

Other funds would go toward beautification efforts such as pressure washing buildings, cleaning trash, planting trees or funding art and holiday decorations.

Neighborhood leaders for the initiative have also said the district would help establish a distinct Ballpark brand to market the neighborhood.

The Ballpark Collective Registered Neighborhood Organization will still stay in operation separately from the district but will work together on addressing Ballpark’s needs, according to a news release from district leaders. The release also said they are beginning work on setting up the district and will have more details after the vote certification.