Who gets to tell Chinatown’s story? Businesses in Chinatown are misunderstood on common platforms representing them such as Yelp and TripAdvisor. Data are often generated by users who are unfamiliar with the cultures & heritage they review, often devaluing the products, services, and events of NYC’s local communities.
The Big Idea:
A complete toolkit to convert volunteer energy into a web-based platform to tell the story of Chinatown small businesses’ products and services.
Organizations: Downtown Brooklyn Partnership + DUMBO Improvement District + AppSpots
Grant Amount: $100,000
Year: 5
Neighborhoods: Downtown Brooklyn & DUMBO
Borough: Brooklyn
The Challenge:
Both Downtown Brooklyn and DUMBO have commercial corridors that see a greater amount of traffic than others due to a number of factors, including subways stops, bus routes, and high-density retail areas. Small businesses and amenities located in less well-traveled corridors face a geographic challenge. The implementation of this new technology will present smartphone users in the districts with information that will attract them to less-traveled destinations, as programmed and designed by each BID.
The Big Idea:
The project is a collaboration between the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and the DUMBO Improvement District to develop and launch a digital platform that uses wayfinding technology to connect those in the participating neighborhoods to local businesses, programming and events, and other community initiatives.
Organizations: Long Island City Partnership + Citiesense + ThoughtMatter
Grant Amount: $100,000
Year: 5
Neighborhood: Long Island City
Borough: Queens
The Challenge:
LIC can be hard to navigate, which makes it challenging for visitors and residents to explore local cultural and community assets. LIC needs a comprehensive signage and wayfinding system that will orient people to where they are, inform them about what is close by, lead them along a path to their destination, and provide opportunities for engaging with their community.
The Big Idea:
LIC Local is a smart signage system that orients people to LIC through street markers and a web app. The logo is designed so that all signage can orient the pedestrians using cardinal directions. Each sign also includes an embedded QR code, which connects the user to the digital platform and the map.
Organizations: Rockaway Business Alliance + Combrr
Grant Amount: $100,000
Year: 5
Neighborhood: Rockaway
Borough: Queens
The Challenge:
The Rockaways are challenged by the task of connecting many disparate elements: visitors, residents, businesses, events, and the beach. Rockaway Business Alliance seeks to connect more potential consumers to goods and services available in the Rockaways. Whether “down for the day” to experience the beach, or lifelong residents looking to expand their horizons of what’s around to eat and do in the community, this project will expand connectivity throughout communities in the Rockaways and to visitors alike.
The Big Idea:
Rockaway ConneX is a dual-pronged technology project crafted with the goal of increasing connectivity between various Rockaway stakeholders and offering user access to relevant information about local businesses, events, cultural activities, and more. Piloting beacon technology in Rockaway businesses allows for more community-integrated commercial corridors and provides a more immersive experience for residents and visitors — ultimately spurring economic development.
Though Fort Greene and Clinton Hill contain some of Brooklyn’s wealthiest blocks, 23% of residents surrounding Myrtle Avenue live below the poverty line. Residents are not connected to the resources that they need to escape poverty— nearly 50% of eligible New Yorkers don’t receive food stamps. The right data can help these neighborhoods understand the community’s real needs and target benefits and services to residents.
The Big Idea:
Benefit Kitchen is a free financial literacy platform that connects working families with a path out of poverty. In 10 minutes, residents can learn about their eligibility and estimated dollar amounts for up to 18 federal, state, and local benefits, unlocking up to $13,000 for their household annually. The quick screening also provides information about accessing benefits right on Myrtle Avenue, including reduced-cost eye care, health bucks, free yoga classes, and food pantry services.
Organization: Flatbush Nostrand Junction Business Improvement District
Grant Amount: $100,000
Year: 4
Neighborhood: Flatbush
Borough: Brooklyn
The Challenge:
With the anticipated arrival of a second large commercial center, Flatbush Nostrand Junction is undergoing rapid transformation and small business owners are feeling the impact. Small businesses located north of the Junction see significantly less foot traffic due to their distance from transportation and magnet attractions, such as Brooklyn College and Triangle Junction Mall.
The Big Idea:
The Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID will work with design firm 3x3 Design to build a place-based identity strategy that highlights the district’s vibrant small businesses, draws foot traffic up Flatbush Avenue, and engages local residents and students to create a diverse customer base.
Challenging Businesses To Strive for ADA Compliance
Organization: Graham Avenue Business Improvement District
Grant Amount: $100,000
Year: 4
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Borough: Brooklyn
The Challenge:
Within the first few months of 2015 alone, seven small businesses located along the Graham Avenue commercial corridor faced lawsuits because their spaces did not comply with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The settlements forced some of these stores out of business over issues that they did not even realize existed and for which they did not know they were liable. Many businesses on Graham Avenue and throughout the city remain non-compliant with ADA and are unequipped to correct the problem, exposing these businesses to costly lawsuits and reducing the accessibility of commercial districts.
The Big Idea:
The Graham Avenue BID will work with local business owners to make their retail district more welcoming to physically challenged and senior customers, while also helping businesses stay in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations and ensuring that the area is inclusive to all shoppers.
There are two key challenges facing Brownsville’s Belmont Avenue: high vacancy rates that drive disinvestment and limit customer traffic, and a lack of local youth development opportunities that contribute to the area’s high crime rates.
The Big Idea:
Made in Brownsville will launch The Labs @ Made in Brownsville, a storefront activation effort and worker cooperative owned by resident-workers, particularly youth living in the neighborhood’s public housing, that will offer digital media services for commissioned projects. The project aims to attract other businesses to Brownsville’s Belmont Avenue commercial corridor and make it a place of choice to live, work, eat, and play.
Organizations: No Longer Empty and Jamaica Center Business Improvement District
Grant Amount: $75,000
Year: 4
Neighborhood: Downtown Jamaica
Borough: Queens
The Challenge:
Jamaica Avenue is currently undergoing a major development boom with the introduction of 10 new hotels and investment from national chain retailers. The neighborhood could use this transformative momentum to tell the story of Jamaica’s rich cultural legacy, especially to the next generation of Queens citizens. However, there is no coordinated cultural campaign or events calendar with this goal.
The Big Idea:
No Longer Empty and the Jamaica Center BID will mount a series of cultural and educational events in underutilized spaces along the Jamaica Avenue commercial corridor to strengthen the local artist and small business communities, engage local youth, and stimulate cultural tourism.
Organization: Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco)
Grant Amount: $50,000
Year: 4
Neighborhood: Southern Boulevard
Borough: Bronx
The Challenge:
Research shows that Bronx residents are looking for local retailers along Southern Boulevard. Nearly $10 million in annual retail demand for products like clothing, electronics, and food remains unmet. However, key retail properties in desirable locations stand vacant due to disrepair and limited marketing, hindering the area’s potential for economic growth.
The Big Idea:
WHEDco will launch Project ReLease to creatively activate 11,000 square feet of vacant, ground-floor retail space at three key storefronts along Southern Boulevard in the South Bronx. Project ReLease will include an economic feasibility study to identify desired retail offerings in the areas, coordination with property owners to make key space improvements, and staging events that showcase the spaces to potential tenants.
Organization: Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice
Grant Amount: $75,000
Year: 4
Neighborhood: Soundview/Bronx River
Borough: Bronx
The Challenge:
The Bruckner Expressway Overpass bifurcates the Bronx’s Soundview neighborhood, limiting walkability in the area and isolating small businesses from key local customer bases – including new residential development and a soon-to-open major film studio that moved to the borough.
The Big Idea:
Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice will activate an empty space under the Bruckner Expressway overpass in Soundview through physical upgrades and programming to transform it into a community gathering and event space. Conducted in partnership with Bronx Community Board 9, this project aims to improve perceptions of safety, encourage increased engagement with local amenities, spur pedestrian activity, and develop a sense of community stewardship over the area.
Organization: AIGA/NY in partnership with Local Development Corporation of East New York
Grant Amount: $60,000
Year: 3
Neighborhood: East New York
Borough: Brooklyn
The Challenge:
Historically underserved, East New York’s low-density industrial park was and remains on the verge of experiencing significant changes – including rezoning, new affordable housing, and changing demographics. Recent planning efforts demonstrated that East New York has great potential to become a mixed-use and sustainable community. But new developments always affect a place’s character. To prepare for this transformation, small businesses needed tools to assert their identity and promote existing neighborhood assets.
The Big Idea:
AIGA/NY proposed to partner with the LDC of East New York to improve the neighborhood’s sense of place through design strategies and community engagement. The project will prepare local businesses for anticipated neighborhood changes by providing them with the design tools they need to enhance both storefronts and community assets through street beautification, collective communication strategies, and space activation tactics.
The Progress:
The project created a multi-platform advocacy campaign entitled “East New York. We Mean Business, Unite to Stay.” Employing design research tactics enabled the team to learn about on-the-ground conditions and challenges faced by business owners and capture feedback from diverse stakeholders. This led to high-impact interventions that could enhance the small business support ecosystem, including print, experiential, and digital materials to get vital information into the hands of small business owners. The project culminated in the installation of two 200-plus foot long banners in critical commercial and industrial corridors of the neighborhood. Finally, the IDeA:ENY Impact Report retraces the process of design research, community engagement, design ideation, and implementation, creating a replicable model.
Quote:
“The banner in the IBZ and the fence installation at 101 Penn Avenue will hopefully stay as visible markers of the East New York identity; but the report is also part of the project legacy, for those who like to read and are eager to pursue this kind of work in other neighborhoods.” – Laetitia Wolff, Program Director, Civic Initiatives at AIGA/NY
Graffiti is an issue touching many neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs, with an unfortunate concentration in the Lower East Side. Combatting illegal graffiti, while simultaneously beautifying the streetscape, would improve quality of life for residents and merchants alike while setting the stage for continued economic growth.
The Big Idea:
The Lower East Side Partnership proposed to connect small business owners in the district with street artists to create temporary mural installations on roll-down storefront security gates — creating, in essence, an outdoor gallery throughout the Lower East Side.
The Progress:
Through intensive outreach to local merchants as well as local, national, and international street artists, the Lower East Side Partnership has completed more than 80 gate paintings. The gates, painted by popular street artists such as Buff Monster and Billy the Artist, have been featured in many publications, including DNAinfo and Cosmopolitan. The BID will continue to pair artists and merchants to complete the remaining gates while maintaining and promoting current installations. In addition, the project has attracted interest from other neighborhood organizations to replicate this project and build further connections with street artists.
Quote:
“By connecting businesses in the district with local artists, the 100 GATES Project has and will continue to have myriad impacts for our community through these original mural installations on the roll down security gates located throughout the LES. The project has focused on particular corridors of the district in order to have a firm and impactful presence, working towards the greater goal of turning the Lower East Side into the world's largest outdoor public art gallery.” – Tim Laughlin, Executive Director
Press:
Artists Are Turning New York City's Ugly Metal Gates Into Stunning Street Art | Fast Company
Project Turning 100 Metal Gates in the LES into Works of Art | DNAinfo
These 9 Women Are Helping Turn Metal Security Gates Into Beautiful Works of Art | Cosmopolitan
More Murals Are Coming to the LES' Rolling Metal Gates | Curbed
Organization: Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership
Grant Amount: $70,000
Year: 3
Neighborhood: Stapleton
Borough: Staten Island
The Challenge:
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the redevelopment of Stapleton is raising new concerns within the community. Businesses, residents, and local artists share fear of displacement and gentrification.
The Big Idea:
The Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership proposed to produce a year-long series of light-based art activities and installations along a one-mile corridor between Stapleton and Tompkinsville. The goal of the project was to help define the neighborhood and bring together a wider network of local businesses, residents, artists, and community organizations to help strengthen the commercial corridor.
The Progress:
The Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership engaged Stapleton’s artists, community partners, businesses, and residents to conceptualize, plan, and put on the Illuminate Stapleton event. In October 2015, the weekend of art and lighting installations, performances, and special events brought together more than 150 community participants and 5,000 attendees for the outdoor neighborhood art event in the North Shore of Staten Island. The project has also led to the creation of a community-based concept for street banners to promote the Stapleton district.
Quote:
"Being the first Staten Island organization to secure a Neighborhood Challenge grant was a big win for our district. With the level of redevelopment happening in our area, these funds were essential in helping us define our neighborhood and meet the challenges rapidly facing our community." – Kamillah M. Hanks, President & CEO
Press:
'Illuminate Stapleton' Festival Highlights Neighborhood's Culture | NY1
Local Artists Light Up Tappen Park | NY1
First Illuminate Stapleton project highlights the past | Staten Island Advance
Illuminate Stapleton: Festival highlights revitalized neighborhood | Staten Island Advance
The faces of Stapleton: Photo event kicks off 'Illuminate' weekend | Staten Island Advance
7 artists 'Illuminate' rich history, emerging story of Stapleton | Staten Island Advance
Huge community art project will transform Stapleton this fall | Staten Island Advance
Pop-Up Concessions in the Bronx: Roberto Clemente Plaza
Organization: Neighborhood Plaza Partnership in partnership with SoBro
Grant Amount: $100,000
Year: 3
Neighborhood: Mott Haven
Borough: Bronx
The Challenge:
Public plazas throughout New York City, but especially in low- and middle-income neighborhoods, struggle to generate enough revenue for regular maintenance and programming. These neighborhood plazas require innovative strategies for revenue generation in order to remain vibrant public spaces.
The Big Idea:
The Neighborhood Plaza Partnership, in collaboration with SoBro, proposed to design and implement a series of pop-up concessions in vacant storefronts adjacent to the soon to be completed Roberto Clemente Plaza to help determine community preferences and revenue projections for the installation of a permanent concession in the plaza. This project aligned itself with the momentous activation of the plaza, a signature element of SoBro’s community revitalization strategy. The project would include the creation of a “pop-up” concession manual to be shared for peer-learning purposes across NYC plaza maintenance partners.
The Progress:
When Roberto Clemente Plaza opens at The Hub later this year, SoBro will be well-prepared to manage a revenue-generating concession at this 19,000-square-foot public space in the heart of one of New York’s densest neighborhoods – having engaged the community on both what they want to purchase and how much they are willing to spend. The “Pop-Ups” will go forward out-of-doors, bringing healthy food options to The Hub and engaging residents, shoppers, and commuters in the process of deciding what will work long-term at the Plaza. The project team will document and analyze the experience as part of a concessions “best practices” manual and share it with plaza managers working in high-need areas across the city.
Quote:
“With more than 200,000 people traveling through The Hub every day, the plaza gives us a tremendous opportunity to bring in healthy food options. We know from surveys that there is demand, and this project is helping us know how best to tap into that, for both good economic develop and smart plaza management.” – Jamila Diaz, Senior Director of Business Services, SoBro
Press:
The Search Is on for Healthy Food Vendors to Serve This South Bronx Plaza | Streetsblog NYC
Revitalizing the Former Bronx Courthouse & Cultural Tourism in the South Bronx
Organization: No Longer Empty
Grant Amount: $60,000
Year: 3
Neighborhood: Melrose
Borough: Bronx
The Challenge:
The Old Bronx Borough Courthouse, vacant for the past 40 years, was a lost community resource that detracted from the area's economic potential. The area suffers from a dearth of community centers, and youth, in particular, lack enough in-school access to high quality arts programs.
The Big Idea:
No Longer Empty proposed to promote cultural and economic vibrancy in the Hub/3rd Avenue area of the South Bronx by reviving the vacant Old Bronx Borough Courthouse, making it a welcoming space for the community to convene and celebrate the neighborhood’s history and current assets. Revitalizing this historically significant but forlorn property would immediately increase area residents’ access to free cultural activities and educational workshops. In the long term, this project aimed to attract tenants to the revitalized site and demonstrate an innovative model for creative interim use that could generate a sustained impact on the local economy.
The Progress:
The project attracted nearly 7,000 people in the spring and summer of 2015, including 1,866 children and youth. Fifty percent of visitors were from the Bronx, 30% of which were from the immediate neighborhood. These visitors experienced – for the first time in 40 years – the interior of the Old Bronx Courthouse through the artists’ works. The project contributed to ongoing efforts to spotlight the Bronx as a destination with its historic sites and vibrant homegrown culture, capable of drawing visitors from other boroughs. The project’s momentum lead to preliminary talks between the Universal Hip Hop Museum and the property owner regarding developing a future museum.
Quote:
“No Longer Empty’s exhibition and collaborative programming were the impetus to galvanize new interest and support for this forlorn building. It showed the surrounding communities’ deep commitment for this Bronx architectural gem and bright hopes for its future incarnations.” – Naomi Hersson-Ringskog, Co-Founder & Executive Director
Press:
Seeking a Role for the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse | New York Times
In the Bronx, Art Fills an Abandoned Neighborhood Landmark | Curbed
Organization: Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation
Grant Amount: $50,000
Year: 3
Neighborhood: Red Hook
Borough: Brooklyn
The Challenge:
In 2012, the storm surge of Hurricane Sandy flooded the peninsula, leaving behind severe damage to Red Hook’s building stock and already failing infrastructure. After the devastation, there has been a significant influx of creative industries and small manufacturers in Red Hook, and an increasing demand for suitable manufacturing spaces.
The Big Idea:
The Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC) proposed to undertake an in-depth real estate development and marketing plan for an underutilized lot in a Superstorm Sandy-impacted area of Red Hook that has seen minimal investment. The purpose of the study is to investigate the development of a multi-storied light manufacturing center that will meet the demand for small, flexible manufacturing space, tackle the area’s unemployment, and catalyze the revitalization of an industrial corridor.
The Progress:
With a team of partners, SBIDC completed a feasibility analysis for the development of a multi-storied light manufacturing center in Red Hook. The results of the report demonstrate the steps necessary to undergo a project that takes into account the design and space needs of its target light manufacturing users, availability of financing and incentives, the implications of rezoning the property, and resilient design considerations. The feasibility study is specific to the 41 Richards Street project, yet also serves as a model for how to tackle a new and resilient industrial development project in New York City.
Quote:
“SBIDC is thrilled to have had this opportunity afforded by Neighborhood Challenge to support the development of a light manufacturing center in Red Hook. SBIDC and the team of partners involved with creating this feasibility analysis hope that this study will not only spur the development of an underutilized lot but also support the revitalization of a corridor in Red Hook.” – David Meade, Executive Director
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