East Harlem Wants a Business Improvement District Despite Past Failures

 

Slideshow

Two months after its grand opening, Costco has told East Harlem officials that it is laying people off.

DNAinfo/Gabriela Resto-Montero

Deputy Commissioner of the Neighborhood Development Division for the city Department of Small Business Services, Elizabeth De Leon Bhargava, said she was surprised to learn that East Harlem did not have a business improvement district. She urged CB 11 to begin the process of launching one.

DNAinfo/Jeff Mays

Shoppers head for Best Buy at the East River Plaza mall in Harlem on Black Friday.

DNAinfo/Paul Lomax

A shopper looks at LCD TV's in Costco at East River Plaza in East Harlem on Black Friday, Nov. 25, 2011.

DNAinfo/Paul Lomax

The Grocery Carolina sits on Pleasant Street in front of the Costco but manager Muhammad Ali (standing) said rather than take away business, the store will bring foot traffic through the area.

Gabriela Resto-Montero

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Flickr/SusanNYC

Steve Lopez, 23, whose family owns A.M. P.M. Menswear on Third Avenue between East 106th and 107th streets, said his store is the only one in the area that sells suits and sweaters and dress shoes.

DNAInfo/Jeff Mays

LaTanya Johnson (right) a medical billing clerk has traipsed as far as the Walmart in Kearney, New Jersey because she doesn't like the price or quality of meat in East Harlem. Her sister Theresa Johnson, 48, a child care provider, agreed.

DNAInfo/Jeff Mays

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Two months after its grand opening, Costco has told East Harlem officials that it is laying people off.

Photo Credit: DNAinfo/Gabriela Resto-Montero

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HARLEM — After several failed attempts, East Harlem officials say they want to set up a business improvement district on one of the historic neighborhood's main commercial corridors.

A portion of 116th Street, Third Avenue or Lexington Avenue are being considered as Community Board 11 begins the process of identifying a group to sell the idea to local property owners and merchants.

"We are one of the only districts in Upper Manhattan that does not have a business improvement district, we do not have a local development corporation or a thriving merchant association," said Diane Collier, chair of CB 11's Culture, Tourism and Economic Development committee.

Deputy Commissioner of the Neighborhood Development Division for the city Department of Small Business Services, Elizabeth De Leon Bhargava, said she too was surprised to learn that the neighborhood she calls home did not have a business improvement district.

The neighborhood has all the potential elements, including retail anchors such as East River Plaza Mall and La Marqueta, a strong cultural history and name recognition.

"When you say El Barrio no one is confusing you with Hackensack," De Leon Bhargava told CB 11. "One of the biggest issues is how to brand a neighborhood. We don't have that problem."

However, after a few minutes of discussion, it was apparent that the idea sounds easier to pull of than it actually is. There was frenzied discussion about which area should be targeted for a BID and which group would lead the process.

De Leon Bhargava said her division only steps into the process when a community has expressed a strong desire for a business improvement district. That includes having a steering committee that is driving the process and organizing merchants and property owners.

"We don't start the BIDs," she said. "The community comes to us."

There are 67 BIDs in the city that work to improve conditions for businesses in a specific geographic area. That could include things such as maintenance, public safety, hospitality, landscaping and marketing.