TESTIMONY
Tian Weinberg, Chief of Staff at the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), on Efforts to Revitalize Neighborhood Commercial Corridors and Support Small Businesses
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9 min
Weinberg outlines initiatives by SBS to improve conditions for small businesses in NYC neighborhoods.
- SBS launched programs providing low-interest loans, grants to community groups, and support for business improvement districts.
- It utilized data mapping to identify vacant storefronts and tailor services to local needs.
- Citywide vacancy rates are declining, with new businesses opening in various sectors.
- SBS streamlined regulations and provided assistance to help entrepreneurs open storefronts faster.
- The 'City of Yes for Economic Unity' initiative aims to reform outdated zoning rules hindering business growth.
Tian Weinberg
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thank you so much.
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Good morning.
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Share Phyllis, council members wrong, and members of this committee on small business.
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My name is Tian Weinberg, and I'm the chief of staff of the Department of Small Business Services Or SBS.
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I'm joined today by a Deputy Commissioner for Neighborhood Development, Calvin Brown.
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We are pleased to be here today to discuss how SBS improves neighborhood conditions for businesses and local communities.
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SBS's mission is to unlock NYC's economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting them to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building thriving vibrant neighborhoods.
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We do this through a wide variety of services from online education at our NYC Business Solution Centers, to pro bono legal assistance for businesses signing or renewing a commercial lease to convening small business thought leaders from across the nation to explore creative approaches to commercial revitalization.
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In the previous year, we made history by launching the NYC Small Business Opportunity Fund.
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And distributing $85,000,000 in low interest loans to over 1000 small businesses with a significant 80% of the loans benefiting minority are women owned businesses.
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Across all our SBS divisions, our teams work every day to make New York City the most desirable place to start, operate, and grow a small business.
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And under this administration, we have made serious inroads and hit major milestones in our commercial recovery.
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As mayor of mayor Adams often says, public safety is a prerequisite to prosperity.
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Today, our streets are safer, our sidewalks are cleaner, and we have more jobs than at any time in our city's history.
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1 in 6 businesses in NYC today opened their doors under the Adams Administration according to the NYC Economic Development Corporation.
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These businesses are driving job creation, tourism, and subway ridership as well.
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Since 2022, small businesses with fewer than employees have accounted for 45% of New York City's overall employment growth despite only representing about a quarter of the city's all workforce.
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These businesses have also contributed more than $3,200,000,000 in direct economic output to the city Meanwhile, 80 62,000,000 visitors brought in more than 74,000,000,000 in economic activity last year and NYC hit a new post COVID high of 4,000,000 subway riders in one day.
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SBS is proud of the part that we have played in supporting this in recovery.
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Since last November, SBS launched our live NYC Map, which is a real time database of more than 150,000 storefronts and public spaces across the city's landscape, and it's the engine behind our Shop Your City website, where New Yorkers can discover and support their local small business This database is refreshed every 90 days, and it informs SBS outreach and program design and enables the agency to meet our reporting obligations per local law 152 of 2019.
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According to our databases, citywide vacancy rates are declining, particularly in outer boroughs, reflecting the success of the mayor's blueprint for economic recovery.
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Vacancies are being filled by a variety of industries, including ecommerce resistant businesses such as juice bars, sports stores, and coffee shops.
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Grocery stores are up 11%, and our nightlife industry is up an impressive 17%.
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These insights inform our work with community based organizations and allow us to be more intentional about the services we provide.
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Our neighborhood development division, NDD, oversees NYC's network of 75 business improvement districts or bids.
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They themselves serve nearly 300 miles of commercial corridors and invest more than a $187,000,000 into local economies.
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During the Adams administration, we have allocated approximately $27,000,000 in grants to over a 100 community based organizations and bids.
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Spurring commercial revitalization efforts across the city.
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Our avenue NYC grant enables community based development organization to hire dedicated full time program managers and complete commercial district needs assessments or CDNA's.
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Our neighborhood $360 provides organizations with the means to turn those CDNAs into impactful commercial revitalization intervention.
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Neighbourhood organizations are using these grant programs in several creative and innovative ways.
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For example, in Brownsville, the Pittkin Avenue bid, a neighborhood 360 grand tea, transformed a vacant storefront into a 2 week long Halloween destination.
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Called the haunted villain.
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The event exceeded expectations, transforming local perceptions by offering a fun and safe activity in an area that lacks many family oriented community spaces.
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Haunted villi closed on Halloween day with the free event welcoming more than 300 children and their families.
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Since this event, 6 new businesses have opened along the corridor.
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The Brooklyn Chinese American Association used their neighborhood 360 support to connect local entrepreneurs to property owners with available commercial space.
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Using relationships they developed while working on their CDNA, leading to 3 new businesses opening in Sunset Park.
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Coupled with the beautification blitz by the central Astoria LDC to remove graffiti and clean up litter, Neighbourhood 360 Grand Tea, Queen's Economic Development Corporation, will soon convene local property owners, real estate brokers, and prospective business owners for a guided walking tour of Astoria Boulevard.
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Our grantee aims to fill approximately 20 vacant storefronts through these strategies.
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This year, we also continued our historic investments in the city's bid network, with over 500,000 in bid exploration and formation in 10 neighborhoods and over 2,500,000 to 39 existing smaller bids.
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Enhance their programming and service delivery.
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Knowing that not every commercial corridor has the capacity to begin bid formation, SBS in the mayor's office of equity launched our 1st ever merchant organizing grants awarding over 2,400,000 to 14 organizations in FY23,915,000 to 11 organizations in FY24.
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This investment helped to either form or revitalize merchant associations in more than 20 neighborhoods planting the seeds for future bid formation.
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We tackled storefront vacancies by lighting up commercial corridors too.
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This year, SBS launched our 1st of its kind commercial district lighting grant with $1,500,000 awarded to 17 organizations.
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This grant provides organizations with the money they need to design, produce, and install customized and creative community lighting projects.
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Addressing neighborhood concerns of insufficient lighting, improving public safety, and attracting businesses and shoppers.
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These are some of the tools that we are currently using to reinvigorate our commercial corridors.
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But district investments must also be coupled with streamlining measures for entrepreneurs who want to open up new shops.
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That's why in the 1st days of his administration, mayor Adams called on the cities in enforcement agencies to review business regulations and identify rules holding our economy back.
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Through small business forward and in partnership with the city council, Over 90 reforms have been implemented, saving small businesses millions in deferred fines and violations.
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Additionally, through SBS's NYC Business Express service team or NYC Best, we provide new storefronts with one on one assistance to get permits and licenses needed to open faster.
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We also provide free consultations at their place of business and in multiple languages, to educate businesses on regulations and ensure they are operating in compliance.
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This administration's city of yes for economic Unity will similarly do away with outdated zoning rules, preventing businesses from filling many vacant storefronts.
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It puts forward 18 sensible policy changes that would expand options for businesses to locate closer to their customers, support growing industries and sectors, foster vibrant neighborhoods and commercial corridors, and provide businesses with simpler zoning rules for the 21st century.
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We look forward to working with the council and the Department of City Planning to see these reforms effectuated.
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SBS remains committed to ensuring that small businesses thrive in every commercial corridor.
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Our historic programming over the past 2 years has supported thousands of businesses And we will continue working with this committee to make New York City the best place to open, operate, and grow a storefront business.
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Thank you so much, and we look forward to answering any questions you may have.
