The 82nd Street BID was initially proposed in 1990.

• It covers 82nd Street from 37th Avenue to Baxter Avenue.
• It includes more than 140 retail businesses.
• Their annual budget is approximately $225,000.

Their mission:

“We work to support and strengthen 82nd Street’s position as one of New York City’s most vibrant commercial corridors. We achieve this through a range of economic development programs, including neighborhood marketing, placemaking, streetscape beautification, supplemental sanitation, and advocacy.”

District Map (Photo Cred: jhcoronabid.org)

In January 2012, the 82nd Street Business Improvement District (BID), under the direction of Commissioner Rob Walsh and Council Member Julissa Ferreras, implemented a 100 Day Plan to rebuild the organization and neighborhood.

“100 days ago we made a commitment to turn around the 82nd Street BID, and today I’m pleased to report that we are making progress on all fronts–the sidewalks are cleaner, graffiti is gone, and businesses are thriving,” -John Rapp, President of the 82nd Street Partnership

82nd St Bike Corral (Photo Cred: 82ndstreet.org)

As of 2012, in the unveiling of a new interactive website and logo, the BID is known as the 82nd Street Partnership.

Revamped Logo

A screen shot of the 82nd Street Partnership website’s homepage

Future plans for the neighborhood include a district wide public art installation, and food and music festival to help build community and attract foot traffic to the neighborhood’s local businesses.

Seth Taylor, Executive Director of the 82nd Street Partnership, met with some of us. We learned that the most needed service for the partnership is business activism. Before the Partnership, it was sort of a non-functioning BID. The businesses really had nobody there to voice their problems, but the Partnership can play that role. One hypothetical example is if the subway is shut down for an extended period of time and businesses are losing business, no one would have been able to talk to the MTA about this problem. Now, however, the BID could be there to do it for them. Branding is also a large part of the Partnership. Events like Viva La Comida serve to brand the area as not only a place to get great food but also a center of diversity.

An advertisement for Viva La Comida found on the Partnership’s Facebook page

Seth joined the 82nd Street BID after working most recently as the director of economic development for the Union Square Partnership in Manhattan. He first began working in commercial revitalization and downtown management as a project manager for the 34th Street Partnership/Bryant Park Corporation and later served as business services manager for the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.

Executive Director Seth Taylor, Councilperson Julissa Ferrera, and other community members at the Viva La Comida event (Photo Cred: queensbuzz.com)

For more on the 82nd Street Partnership, visit their website, like their Facebook page, and access their most recent annual report, located here.

Tweets by @82ndStQueens

Credit: Yolian Cerquera

According to the NYC Department of Buildings, more than half of the business on 82nd Street, between Roosevelt Avenue and 37th Avenue, has racked up violations with the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission.

• There are currently more than 52 open violations currently on record for the block.
  • The violations came from minor things such as: wrong sized awnings, deteriorating facades, and illegal signage.
  • If left unchecked these violations can total as much as $5,000.
• The 82nd Street BID director Seth Taylor proposed to use the grant money that comes with the BID on a “Storefront Improvement Program”.
  • The program will upgrade stores along 82nd Street to bring them up to code with the Landmark Preservation Commission rules.
  • The program will also help storeowners fill out the correct permits in order to do construction within the historic district.
  • The program will also work on two specific tasks:
    

    82nd Street store affected by Landmark District Restrictions.
    Credit: Josey Bartlett, Queens Chronicle

1.Creating a storefront design that eliminates the Landmark Preservation Commission violations.

2. Implementing the plan stated above to keep up with the neighborhood’s architectural style.

Tweets by @82ndStQueens