TESTIMONY
Pedro Suarez on Supporting Small Businesses and Addressing Challenges in the Third Avenue Business Improvement District, Bronx
1:23:03
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145 sec
Pedro Suarez testifies on the role of the Third Avenue Business Improvement District in supporting small businesses and addressing unique challenges in the Bronx.
- The district spans an 8-block area with over 200 commercial tenants, focused on business support, safety, and community prosperity.
- Suarez highlights interaction with various city divisions, emphasizing successful partnerships for funding and support.
- He points out the BID's uniqueness as the first and oldest in the Bronx, emphasizing its significant traffic, second only to Times Square.
- Suarez addresses the additional complexities of operating within the epicenter of the opioid crisis.
- He concludes by thanking Mayor Adams, Commissioner Kim, and the city council for their support, particularly in securing additional funding for smaller BIDs.
Pedro Suarez
1:23:03
Yes.
1:23:04
I'm here.
1:23:04
I'm not able to turn on my camera for some reason.
1:23:08
It says the host has stopped it.
Oswald Feliz
1:23:15
Alright.
Pedro Suarez
1:23:18
There we go.
1:23:20
Apologies.
1:23:21
Good afternoon, sheriff Elise, and members of the New York City Council Committee on Small Business.
1:23:25
My name is Pedro Suarez, and I'm testifying today as executive director of the Third Avenue Business Improvement District in the Bronx.
1:23:33
The bid covers the commercial area between East 148th Street, and East 150 Third Street, primarily along Third Avenue in the Bronx.
1:23:41
Our mission has always been to support small businesses, keep our neighborhoods clean and safe, and bring prosperity to our communities.
1:23:48
We are we are proud to be the 1st and oldest of our kind in the Bronx, serving the growing South Bronx community since 1988.
1:23:55
The 3rd avenue bid covers an 8 block facing area, which includes over 200 commercial tenants.
1:24:02
Bids interact with several of the divisions within S US, including business services, and the office of nightlife.
1:24:07
We work most closely with the neighborhood development division.
1:24:10
This team led by deputy commissioner Calvin Brown Estats with bid oversight, creating capacity building opportunities for community based organizations and developing and the development and management of grant program.
1:24:22
Deliver critical resources for bids.
1:24:25
I'm very grateful for the partnership with Mayor Adams, SBS Commissioner Kim, and the city council in recent years, in particular, thanking everyone for their advocacy and support of additional funding for smaller bids like myself.
1:24:37
To the small bid grant to deliver critical services.
1:24:40
One thing that I wanted to add and mention is that bids, you know, in many parts of the city face unique challenges, particularly in the South Bronx, our bid is located within the center of the opioid epidemic and crisis.
1:24:53
So that adds an additional layer of layer of complexity to the the issues that we're trying to address.
1:24:58
And I would also add that the assessments that are delivered to bids don't often reflect the volume of visitors that we receive.
1:25:08
The 3rd avenue bid is the 2nd most heavily trafficked bid in the entire city, second only two times Square.
1:25:15
So that's something that I would like folks to keep in mind as they think about the different supports that are needed.
1:25:21
For the smaller bids that we often face.
1:25:24
Again, high volume As far as traffic.
1:25:26
Thank you so much for your time today.