Bed-Stuy Gateway Newsletter January-March 2012

8/3/2019 Bed-Stuy Gateway Newsletter January-March 2012

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Bed-Stuy Gateway

2011 Annual Membership Meeting

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Page 4 Page 6

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Big Eye in The Sky: BID Watch

Program

Fulton Streets Facelift New Businesses Fill Culinary Gaps

Business Marketing Panel Talks

Entrepreneurship

Fill Those Vacancies

January - March 2012

C A L L : 7 1 8 - 6 3 6 - 6 9 1 0 E M A I L : B E D S T U Y G A T E @ G M A I L . C O M

PhotoofKeishaDoxy

ofCherrysSalon


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The BID held its second annual

membership meeting on November

16, 2011. Around 40 people attended,

including property owners, board

members, members of the general

public, and city council member Al-

bert Vann. BID staff presented ongo-

ing projects, such as the streetscape

improvements, and some new ones,

like the BID Watch security camera

program that will launch in 2012.

The message we emphasized to

participants is that the BID is here

to work with businesses. We want

to help provide additional security

through the BID Watch program.

We can help businesses with market-

ing. We want to be the rst call for

entrepreneurs thinking of opening or

expanding a business in the district

Think of us as a non-fee broker. We

can assist in nding retail space, and

we will help businesses ourish after

the rental agreement is signed! o

All my best,

Doug Jones

Letter from The Executive Director

We want you

to call us rst if

you are think-

ing of openingor expanding a

business in the

district.

Dear Neighbors,

Im a Native Son of Bed-Stuy and taking on the job of Executive Directorhas been the realization of a dream not in the romantic sense of, If only Icould do, but in the practical sense of, This has be to done, so why not

me? Im proud to join countless others who have done before me.This past summer I listened to entrepreneurs, property owners, residents,and shoppers, documenting how far the BID has come and how much fur-ther all of us can help the district grow. Soon there will be distinctive paversthroughout the district; new sidewalks, trees, benches, bike racks, and trashreceptacles will make the district more pedestrian friendly; and a new outdoorplaza will be a gathering place to host public events.

Ive listened to people whove said Fulton Street should be cleaner myrst month was spent revamping management of the Atlantic Maintenance

street cleaning crew. Look for their forest green and khaki uniforms as theykeep Fulton Street looking fabulous. I encourage all of us to lend a helping

hand by discouraging litter. And thanks to all of you whove written to saythat you have noticed our progress.

Some also mentioned security concerns. This year the BID will institute the BID Watch program. Cameras throughouthe district will assist safety coordination with the 79th Precinct. BID Watch will also help monitor sanitation violationsand infringements of quality of life issues.

Finally, check out our video series at http://bedstuygateway.wordpress.com. You will nd products and services offered

by BID businesses. Were tooting our collective horn and telling you why you should Shop the BID in Bed-Stuy. Joinour email list to receive news of special events, discount offerings, and new business openings. Were excited and con-dent about our future and we look forward to you shopping with us!

Chairman of the Board and

Property Owner Edmon Braith-

waite was Master of Ceremonies

for the Annual Meeting.

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Streetscape improvements are

well underway for the Bed-Stuy

Gateway district. The project willtransform the district into a more

attractive urban space, helping it

to achieve its full economic po-

tential as Central Brooklyns an-

chor shopping district. Workers

broke ground in June 2011 on the

eighteen-month project, which is

almost 50% complete at the time

of this writing. Upon completion,

the improvements on Fulton Street

between Bedford and Troy Av-enues will include 144 new trees

and reconstructed sidewalks. Curb

bump-outs will make it easier for

pedestrians to cross the streets, and

new trash cans, including addition-

al cans placed at mid-block inter-

vals, will help contribute to keep-

ing the district a clean and pleasant

shopping environment.

A new public plaza on Marcy Av-

enue at the intersection with FultonStreet will be a focal point of the

project. It will create 8,000 square

feet of public space, including

landscaping and seating, and will

feature a tile mosaic created by a

Brooklyn-based artist.

By creating a more attractive

public realm, the project aims to

support the districts economic

growth by attracting more pedes-

trian trafc and greater retail diver-

sity. The streetscape enhancemen

project will be a wonderful and

well-deserved facelift for FultonStreet, says Melissa Lee, Manag

ing Director of the Coalition for the

Improvement of Bedford-Stuyves

ant. It will provide business own

ers and residents with a beautifu

space to live, work, and shop.

The project is a partnership be

tween the BID and the New York

City Economic Development Cor

poration, in coordination with theMayors Ofce of Comprehensive

Neighborhood Economic Devel

opment. It is being nanced by

approximately $9 million in capi

tal investments from the Ofce o

Mayor Bloomberg, the Ofce o

the Brooklyn Borough Presiden

Marty Markowitz, and the Ofce

of Council Member Albert Vann. o

Fulton Streets Facelift

A well deserved

facelift for Fulton

Street.

-Melissa Lee

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The Bed-Stuy GatewayBID recently partnered withAdam Reichardt to produce severalshort video commercials featuringarea businesses. The series highlightsCherrys Unisex Salon, Bed-Vyne

Wine, and Bushbaby Lounge, amongothers.

Two of the videos were fea-tured in a Gothamist.com article,Guide to Bed-Stuy Dining. Thegoal is to use social media and othernew media outlets to bring customersto the business.

The videos are documentary-style, and each is approximately twominutes long. They weave interview

footage of the business owner into amontage of a typical busy day for thebusiness.

Interested in marketing a businesswith video? Adam and the BID are

offering the service free of charge toBID members. We will produce thevideo and place it on our blog. Thebusiness will also receive a copy ofthe video for your own marketing use.o

The annual membership meet-ing also featured a panel moder-ated by Anthony Long of NYCBusiness Solutions. It was madeup of four local entrepreneurs:Monique Greenwood of Akwaaba

Enterprises, Marcia Melendez of

Flowerworks, Rebecca Pear ofBrooklyn Cooperative FederalCredit Union, and Craig Sammuelof Peaches Restaurant. The panel

focused on strategies for growinga successful small business. Mar-

cia Melendez encouraged busi-ness owners to be small whilethinking big. Expanding on this

point, Craig Sammuel talkedabout staying true to an entrepre-

neurs vision, cautioning againstmaking changes that do not t

into the larger vision for the busi-nesss growth.

All of the panelists talkedabout the advantages of being asmall business - it allows an ownerto know all of his or her employ-ees personally, which can help toknow what motivates them. Evenmore importantly, being small al-

lows businesses to have a directrelationship with their customers.

You can be

small while

thinking big.

-Marcia Melendez

If you have any

questions about

marketing, you canemail us at

[email protected]

and were

happy to help!

Check out the videos :

bedstuygateway.wordpress.com

In the video for Therapy Wine Bar

we followed the bartenders around

and showed off their skills.

Peaches owner Craig Sammuel explains the importance of knowing

your customers.

For more information, contact

[email protected]

or call Lisa Thompson at 718..636.6929

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Ask An Expert

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http://bedstuygateway.wordpress.com/http://bedstuygateway.wordpress.com/http://bedstuygateway.wordpress.com/


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For years, BID members Mr. andMrs. Beaty had been having prob-lems with illegal dumping in frontof their store. Someone was leavingbags of garbage; they were dealingwith citations and paying for gar-bage hauling. To get to the bottomof the problem, the Beatys and theBID Public Safety Team lookedthrough footage from a securitycamera in front of the store andidentied the source of the dump-ing: one of the neighbors. With evi-dence in hand, the Beatys and theBID Public Safety Team were ableto resolve the issue.

We know that a number of mer-chants and property owners in the

district have concerns about securi-ty and crime. As part of our effortsto make the district safer and moreinviting, the BID wants to helpmore businesses get camera sys-tems. Our Public Safety and Envi-ronmental Control team, led by An-thony Saunders, can help providean extra set of eyes on the street- and on the districts businesses.Saunders is a former New YorkCity police ofcer whose training

allows him to recognize unusualand unwanted behavior. This canhelp deter incidents, or the BID canintervene before situations becomemore serious. Saunders team canprovide an additional point of ob-servation, and also help follow upon incidents captured on camera.

We invite property owners andbusiness owners to participate inthe BID Watch program. The BIDwill cover the costs of installing thecameras on the exteriors of build-ings. The BID is also consideringhow to support the monthly inter-net subscription that allows theBID to tap into the camera footage.As Saunders says, You secure ev-erything else that is meaningful to

you. Why not your business? Wencourage businesses to take thigreat opportunity to monitor thei

Big Eye in The Sky: BID Watch Program

You secure

everything that

is meaningful to

you. Why not

your business?

- Tony Saunders

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1st QuarterIdentify pilot locations

Secure permissions from

property/business owners

Develop cost analysis

2nd QuarterPurchase equipment

Install cameras

Test at pilot locations

3rd QuarterMonitor pilot locations

Troubleshoot any issues

4th QuarterRoll out district-wide

BID Watch

Program Timeline

For more information,

Call Tony Saunders: 718-636-6910

Security camera footage captures illegal dumping in front of local storefront.


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Our October survey of vacancy and occupancy in the districtyielded a vacancy rate of 6.8%. This represents an uptickfrom Septembers vacancy rate. One thing to bear in mind isthat a small change in the number of vacant storefronts canresult in a signicant percentage change. Only a few store-

fronts account for the increased vacancy

rate between September and October. Still, we do not like tosee an upward trend of vacancies. If you are a property own-er with a retail vacancy that you would like to ll, we wouldlike to invite you to work with the BID. We can help matchyou with prospective tenants who are interested in spaceslike yours in the district.o

The BID is pleased to announce

that a new healthful eatery will be

coming soon to Bed-Stuy! The yet-

to-be-named restaurant will open at

1365 Fulton Street early in the new

year. It will provide Bed-Stuy with a

healthful and affordable alternative

in the fast food genre, thus lling a

need for more food choices in the

neighborhood.

The new restaurants arrival

in Bed-Stuy is the culmination of

work by BID staff to increase retail

diversity in the district. BID staff

are constantly on the lookout for

businesses to bring into the area. A

lot of the time we do this through

good, old-fashioned pounding thepavement: we go to other shopping

districts throughout the city to nd

shops that we think would be a good

t for the neighborhood. These are

usually enterprises with just a few

stores in New York City. When we

nd a promising business, we reach

out to the owner to convince them of

the great opportunity to open a new

location in Bed-Stuy. We also helpconnect them with property owners

who have retail space to rent.

We can help new businesses that

come to the district through other

means. The BID did not nd Breu

6%4% 5%

OctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMay

A new eatery with a healthful focus will add to the diversity of Bed-Stuys food offerings.

5%7%

3%

Bed-Stuy Retail Vacancy Rates

continued on next page

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Breukelen Cellars owner John Samuel offers a space for local artists to displayand sell their work. The painting above is by Brooklyn artist Joseph Bolton.

Continued from page 6

Continued from page 4

In the current economy, retail isa very difcult sector, as customers

are ever more savvy and price-con-scious. The factor that makes themfavor your store over the onlinediscounter is often the human ele-ment - the service with a smile, andthe personal relationship.

Lastly, the panel talked aboutdifferent marketing strategies, fromthe more established direct-mailand leaet campaigns, to the use

of social media (e.g., FoursquareTwitter, Yelp etc.). Obviously, a

marketing campaign has to be de-signed to reach the target customerand the medium is crucial to thateffort. Again, as Craig Sammuelsaid, marketing campaigns need tot into an entrepreneurs vision for

the business. The BID can assistwith the development of a market-ing plan. o

Marcia Melendezs business Flowerworks

has been going strong for 29 years.

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kelen Cellars, but when we

heard that they wanted to open in

the district, we were excited to wel-

come them. We wrote a letter of

support on their behalf to the NY

State Liquor Authority - and wecan do similar things for other new

businesses that we think ll a need

in the district.

Breukelen Cellars owner John

Samuel is a Bed-Stuy native. He

started his business here because

he saw multiple ways that it would

allow him to contribute to the com-

munity. First, he saw that a winestore would be a great complement

to venues like Ms. Dahlias Cafe

and Vodou Bar. He knew that with

places like those, the neighborhood

was denitely ready for a wine

store. Secondly, he saw it as a way

to provide a community space - in

addition to selling wine, the store

features the work of a different local

artist each month. Samuel is com-

mitted to giving back to the com-

munity in any way he can. He has

donated turkeys to the 79th Precinct

Community Council and a van full

of toys to Toys for Tots.

Businesses like these bringgreater retail diversity to the Bed-

Stuy Gateway. That diversity helps

attract more shoppers, which means

more potential customers for all of

the districts businesses. A recent

study by the Local Initiatives Sup-

port Corporation (LISC) showed

that Bed-Stuy residents retail de-

mand is not currently being met

in full. In particular, residents $40million yearly demand for sit-down

restaurants is being met outside

the neighborhood, a phenomenon

called retail leakage. The BIDs

goal is to help attract the business-

es that residents are demanding, to

keep that money here in Bed-Stuy.o


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Doug Jones joined the Business Im-provement District (BID) as theExecutive Director in June 2011. Hestarted his economic development careerat Neighborhood Housing Services as aHomeownership Counselor. He served inmany director positions within economicdevelopment organizations, includingthe Director of Economic Development

at Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, before settling with

the BID. Doug attended Morehouse College and graduateschool at Columbia University. He is a lifelong residentof Bed-Stuy and a tireless advocate for the neighborhoodsbusinesses and residents.

Anthony Saunders, a native of BedfordStuyvesant, joined the BID in 2009. Heis a former New York City police ofcer

who served in the 79th Precinct from 1993to 2009. In his current role, he works withproperty owners and merchants to maintaina clean and safe shopping district.

Lisa Thompson joined the Bed-StuyGateway BID as Deputy Director inDecember 2009. She is an urban planner bytraining, and oversees capital projects andretail attraction for the BID. She currentlylives in Bed-Stuy.

Bernadette joined Bedford-StuyvesantRestoration in 2001 to work on the AsthmaInitiative. Bernadette was instrumental ingarnering community support for bringinga BID to Bed-Stuy. She can frequently beseen around the district engaging with busi-ness and property owners in her outreachefforts.

James joined the BID in 2010. A life-longBrooklyn resident, he graduated fromBoys High School and currently lives onFulton Street. He can be seen around thedistrict working with the BIDs merchantcommunity to keep the BID a safe and

pleasant place.

Meg joined the BID as an intern in

October 2011. She has a background in

public health and a strong interest in ur-ban planning. She works closely withDeputy Director Lisa Thompson.

Doug Jones

Lisa Thompson

Anthony Saunders

Meg Dahlgren

James Ryals

Bernadette Mitchell

Calendar of Events

Executive Director

Deputy Director

Director, Public Safety and

Environmental Control

Public Safety and Environmental Control Ofcer

Operations Intern

Commercial Revitalization Assistant

January February

March

19th 6-8pm

Nothing by Networking

Amalgamated Bank (1212 Fulton St.)

16th 6-8pm

Nothing by Networking

Melanies Restuarant (1285 Fulton St.)

15th 6-8pmNothing by Networking

My Arena (New Bar) 557 Classon Ave

15th 6:30-8pmHome Renance Seminar

Bed-Stuy Restoration (1368 Fulton St.)

16th 6:30-8pm

Small Business Seminar

Social Media Marketing Made Simple

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce280 Cadman Plaza West

RSVP - ibrooklyn.com

3rd 9-11am

Tax Workshop

Bed-Stuy Restoration (1368 Fulton St.)

STAFF

Bed-Stuy Gateway Newsletter January-March 2012

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