REMARKS
Council Member Oswald Feliz's opening remarks on public space activation and small business revitalization
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4 min
Council Member Oswald Feliz, Chair of the Committee on Small Business, delivers opening remarks for a joint hearing on public space activation and small business revitalization in naturally occurring cultural districts. He highlights the challenges faced by small businesses, the importance of addressing vacant storefronts, and the potential for arts and culture to revitalize commercial corridors.
- Emphasizes the interconnection between small businesses and cultural organizations
- Provides examples of successful public space activations across NYC
- Stresses the importance of supporting naturally occurring cultural districts as engines of social and economic growth
Oswald Feliz
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Thank you.
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Thank you so much.
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Good morning, everyone.
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One of the years.
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I'm Council member Oswald Feliz, Chair on the Committee on Small Business.
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Thank you for joining today's hearing with the Committee on Small Business.
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And committee on cultural affairs, libraries, and international intergroup relations to discuss our oversight topic.
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Public space activation and small business revitalization in naturally occurring cultural district.
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I'd like to begin by thanking council member, Colleen Rivera, whom I have the honor and the privilege of co chairing this hearing with.
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I'd also like to thank representatives from the administration, members of the public, and, of course, my colleagues who have joined today in person in via Zoom including council members, a car, Brooks Powers, Hanks, and Hanif, years old.
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Over the past 4 years, we've seen small businesses face significant challenges.
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We've also seen businesses respond to these challenges in unique and inspirational ways.
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Recently, in fact, in New York City, New York City celebrated the roughly 183,000 small businesses in our city.
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Even as we celebrate the record new number of small businesses, we must ensure that we continue to address small businesses effectively and equitably.
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At the small business committee's hearing this past April, We touched on a very important topic facing the city, vacant storefronts and its effect on public spaces and commercial corridors.
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This is a huge challenge for our commercial corridors.
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Vacant storefronts can be tied to limited foot traffic for all the small businesses and concerns for public safety.
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And existing solutions addressing the need to revitalize commercial corridors is through the infusion of arts and culture in business communities and in public business.
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This city is home to diverse an incredible landscape of unique neighborhoods with so much to offer, and the city can play an important role in bringing together local businesses and culture organizations to activate and revitalize local commercial corridors.
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It's important to emphasize that when we talk about small businesses and arts and cultures, these are not separate communities.
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Many culture organizations are themselves small businesses and vice versa from community theaters and art galleries to coffee shops and restaurants.
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And they all have a shared interest in activating public spaces in a way that will attract food traffic and alive in neighborhood culture.
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In fact, a look at the Department of Small Business Services website shows a number of commercial district needs assessments.
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From all boroughs that point to opportunities to fuse arts and culture into public spaces as a part of improving pedestrians experiences and supporting local businesses.
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We've also seen a number of business improvement districts intentionally and successfully engage with local artists, performers, and cultural organizations to enrich commercial experiences, often through public performances or artwork.
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So many examples of these activations of public spaces through the intersection of small business and culture exist across the city.
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From the Queensland market to the fun on the 5th festival in Bay Ridge, to the meatpacking district's Edward Hopper inspired exhibition, to the annual South Bronx Culture Festival.
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Many of the most successful examples arise naturally from existing cultural networks that are rooted in the unique history and communities of the neighborhoods of their neighborhoods.
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City governments should celebrate and support these natural naturally occurring cultural districts and networks because they're engines of enduring social and economic growth.
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And quite simply, they make our city great.
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In today's hearing, we seek to closely examine these intersections of arts and culture, businesses, and public space, and how these intersections can revitalize a commercial corridor.
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We look forward to hearing from SBS on how they can support these areas of interest in all the neighborhoods that wanted, ensure these opportunities are equitably accessible, and facilitate coordination with other agencies to ensure these opportunities are effectively enacted.
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Wanna thank Jessica Lea and Rebecca Barela from Central Staff for putting this thing together, as well as my team, some which have joined us, Santiago by Anna Migal Pena, and everyone working in the background to make this of reality.
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Now I'll turn it over to my culture, Council member, Carlene Rivera.
