FACTS ABOUT THE BED-STUY GATEWAY BID

ABOUT THE STEERING COMMITTEE

• Mr. Edmon Braithwaite (co-chair); Business Owner – Nostrand Wines & Liquors       

• Mr. Noah Katz (co-chair);Business Owner – Foodtown Supermarkets      

In addition to the co-chairs, the steering committee guiding the formation of the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID is comprised of twenty-three other individuals representing: property and business owners and residents within the proposed BID, leaders of Bedford-Stuyvesant civic and non-profit organizations, local clergy, real estate professionals and representatives of elected officials. The Bed-Stuy Gateway BID Steering Committee first convened on July 11, 2006.

Fulton-Nostrand United Merchants Association, assisted by Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, is the sponsoring organization of the initiative to form the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID.

VISION STATEMENT OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE (ADOPTED ON FEBRUARY 20, 2007)
"We declare that the Bedford-Stuyvesant Gateway Business District is the business and cultural destination of choice for all residents of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, northern Crown Heights, Ocean Hill and Brownsville.
Through the services of the BID, We are committed to:
•      A safe, clean and aesthetically attractive commercial and cultural destination;
•      Fostering thriving and profitable businesses;
•      Providing a variety of retail goods and services from a mixture of national brand and locally-based companies, including minority and women-owned small businesses;
•      Valuing the diverse history, culture and styles of the residents of the Bedford-Stuyvesant and wider Central Brooklyn communities by offering goods and services that respond to the community’s wants and desires.”

WHAT WILL THE BID PROVIDE?
In addition to the basic services provided by the City, the BID will provide:
•    Street/Sidewalk Maintenance and Sanitation (Street/sidewalk sweeping, garbage bagging and the maintenance of lampposts and street furniture at least eight hours a day, seven days a week, powerwashing of dirty sidewalks)
•    Graffiti removal
•    Public safety patrols seven days a week
•    Promotional and event marketing, i.e. arts and cultural festivals, to promote businesses and cultural amenities in the district
•    Landscaping and Beautification of the Streetscape
•    Capital improvements

PROPOSED FIRST YEAR BUDGET FOR THE BID
•    To cover the costs of the services listed above, the Bed Stuy Gateway BID Steering Committee has approved an annual budget of approximately $675,000
•    The median annual BID assessment is approximately $1,192 approximately or $99/month for a typical 20-foot wide storefront.

ASSESSMENT FORMULA
•    The assessment for each property within the district is based on lot frontage on Fulton St. or Nostrand Ave.
•    The rate is approximately $60 a front foot for commercial or mixed-use property
•    The typical storefront along Fulton Street and Nostrand Avenue is 20 feet wide, so that owner would be assessed approximately $1,200 a year based on the above rate
•    Strictly residential properties are assessed $1 a year
•    Government and Non-Profit properties classified as “Public Facilities” are exempt

BID AREA PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS
•    There are 368 properties within the boundaries of the BID, with 28 being either exempt or residential paying $1/year (leaving 340 to be assessed based on the formula). These 368 properties are represented by 267 property owners or property owning entities.
•    To be considered for approval by the City, the BID process must demonstrate widespread approval from the property owners within the proposed district.

BID BOUNDARIES
The proposed district includes:
•    Properties lining the north and south sides of Fulton Street, from the east side of Classon Avenue to the west side of Albany Avenue;
•    Properties lining the north side of Fulton Street from the east side of Albany Avenue to the west side of Marcus Garvey Boulevard;
•    Properties lining the south side of Fulton Street from the east side of Albany Avenue to the west side of Troy/Lewis Avenue;
•    Properties lining the east and west sides of Nostrand Avenue, from the south side of Halsey Street to the north side of Atlantic Avenue.

Jump to Sections:

• About the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID Homepage
• What is a BID and why form one now in Bedford-Stuyvesant?
• Facts about the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID
• FAQ's about BID's, by the New York City Department of Small Business Services
• Voice your support for the formation of the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID by signing our ballot and email/fax or mail it back to us.