Fulton BID Gaining Momentum
With an end finally in sight for the infrastructure and repaving work that has plagued the already-down-on-its-luck stretch of Fulton Street in Clinton Hill, momentum is building for a new Business Improvement District to help improve the quality of life and retailing environment. There’s a meeting tonight at the Fort Greene Senior Citizens Council, 966…
With an end finally in sight for the infrastructure and repaving work that has plagued the already-down-on-its-luck stretch of Fulton Street in Clinton Hill, momentum is building for a new Business Improvement District to help improve the quality of life and retailing environment. There’s a meeting tonight at the Fort Greene Senior Citizens Council, 966 Fulton Street (between St. James Place and Grand Avenue) at 6:30 p.m. tonight hosted by Council Member Letitia James. Update: Thanks to cobblehller for providing this link to information on the proposed BID. Importantly, the site states that the BID is to cover the entire stretch of Fulton from Flatbush to Classon as well as some side streets.
ah, but if the what says lies, it’s probably true, right?
clintonista=lies
The What
Someday this war is gonna end..
Hello All…
I am a member of the BID steering committee and thought i’d tell you what I know about the opposition to the BID. As far as I know, most businesses are supporting the BID. However, Met food’s owner (who owns a substantial number of properties between washington and grand aves.) is opposing the BID, probably for financial reasons. Most of the storefronts that are displaying the “NO BID” signs are owned by that same property owner.
The BID does have the support of Tish James as well as almost all elected officials who represent the neighborhood. Also, it’s important to note that the money assessed from the properties and given to the BID, is being reinvested back into the community. This, in my opinion, is how good government is supposed to work. The BID board is made up of local merchants, residents and property owners. Together, they decide how to spend the budget.
The Anti-BID flyer is printed by someone who has a beef with PACC and it is filled with inaccuracies. They are using Anti-PACC sentiment to bring down the BID. However, if they do manage to kill the plan, they will be making the lives of already struggling business owners harder.
I think part of the disconnect that k on fulton identifies is that mailings go to property owners. Although many if not most commercial leases have a pass-through clause, real estate taxes and BID assessments are paid by property owners, so that is who PACC contacts. That is who the Department of Small Business Services wants to see support or oppose the plan. Every BID steering committee includes business owners.
Further clarification…first of all marp.org sends you to a michigan based website. the actual address for MARP is myrtleavenue.org. Secondly on the MARP website they list PACC as a partner in the project so I am not incorrect in my statement that PACC has had a positive impact on Myrtle Ave.
MARP – myrtle ave revitalization project is responsible for the work on myrtle. i’m not sure of what their relationship to PACC is but i want to make sure credit goes where credit it due. marp.org
k–are you a business owner on Fulton?
In re PACC’s involvement they seem to have had a very positive impact on Myrtle Ave (which is as far from Dekalb as Fulton is). Do you agree with that?
I would be interested to know if anyone on this thread went to the meeting last night?
True, delis might not get much out of being in a BID, but I dont think that is the issue, and this argument has veered way off track.
BIDs are supposed to be “for businesses, by businesses”, yet this one is being started essentially by one salaried individual at Pratt Area Community Council (see http://pacc.publishpath.com/bid), on – ahem – DEKALB AVENUE.
Good luck trying to get information about the BID Steering Committee, or even participating if you are on Fulton. When multiple phone calls go unreturned, and we hear about meetings the day after, what are folks supposed to think? Did the grant not include funding for a mailing or an intern to walk down Fulton with some flyers?
Now, we love our Tisha James, but some transparency would help get folks on board.
So far, somethings fishy on Fulton St.
bedstuy11216 – well said!