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.
No idea, but having gone in their once and immediately walking out due to the smell not unlike that of what i imagine dead bodies to smell like, one has to wonder…
Wasder, as it relates to Met Foods, could they possibly see a BID as creating an opportunity for competition? If they do, why would they support something that might create a rival that would create a price/quality war that they might lose or at least suffer from with lower profit margins?
Alright, fair enough. If I concede that there might be some delis that are drug fronts (which I don’t have any info about) can you posit a reason why larger stores like the Met Foods is against the BID?
I know of one bodega in Park Slope on 5th Avenue that I’m sure is a drug front, so I’m SURE it happens on Fulton Street.
I have to agree with 11233 here. The folks saying it doesn’t happen anymore are REALLY naive, especially when you take into account the kind of crime that still happens around this area not to mention the crimes that are not reported by police in the area immediately around Fulton Street.
11217–I have no interest in getting into an argument about whether or not the bodegas are selling drugs. But keep in mind that the Met Foods (the only major grocery store in the area) is against the BID as well (that was a real surprise to me) so the resistance must have other reasons besides drug trafficking.
11217—the guys in my deli, besides being “nice”, provide a very valuable service to their customers. They sometimes extend credit to folks and they generally are friendly and their store is well stocked. They are definitely not selling weed. I can’t say with certainty that none of the bodegas sell weed but I haven’t seen evidence of it. Also, their resistance to the BID seems to be wrapped up in practical business concerns rather than any sort of desire to see their surroundings remain blighted. They just don’t see how their 80 bucks a month (or whatever it is) is going to be recouped (though I think as I said that they are not thinking long term enough).
In re gentrification in the next few years if it didn’t happen in the last 10 I agree in principle with you. It would be naive to assume that just because a BID is proposed that everything will be roses. But I think people underestimate the damage done to the neighborhood by the very lengthy public works project that is just now wrapping up a year and a half late. So many people flat out stopped coming to Fulton during this time that aggressive steps will have to be taken to get people to come back. I must say that just seeing the road paved takes away a substantial portion of the cringe factor.
I frequented the corner bogeda I mentioned and lived in that neighborhood for 6 years before I moved. There are two “hotels” in the area, one just north of Fulton and the other one block south of Fulton. Both are on Classon.
I still pass the location I was talking about on a weekly basis despite having moved away from that location. It is painfully obvious that several of the lovely people who spend their day on this corner seem to have something to do when the cops come around. (Shocking!)
I have lived in NYC all my life, including stints in 4 of the 5 boros. Never lived in Staten Island.
Based on what you wrote above, you actually don’t know the area I was talking about as well as I do. Try again.
Storefront drug dealing is not gone. What planet do you live on?
Unless you were some old-time reporter that walked around this area and got to know everyone, you have no idea what is going on.
You have no clue.
Try again.
Well wasder,
If they aren’t drug fronts, one does have to wonder how one of those bodegas which I’m guessing have ridiculously low rent would not pay 80 dollars a month to improve their business, nearby neighbors and community. Especially when other BIDs around the city have been so clearly successful.
There must be another reason why so many of these guys don’t want to be recognized in the BID. wink wink….
You know what…if my local bodega didn’t want to contribute 80 dollars a month to better the neighborhood, I simply wouldn’t give them my business anymore.
Start talking with your wallet.
I didn’t mean to imply that Fulton did not improve at all over the past decade, but the change seems to be coming at a snail’s pace.
And no, I don’t believe it should become another Smith or 5th Avenue, nor do I think it has the potential to become like those…