important core services, which comprise almost half of our ... Blocks Managed .... nyc/deals to sign up for your free ca
Village Alliance FY 2018 Annual Report
Dear Neighbors, Since 1993, the Village Alliance has focused on keeping the streets of the Central Village sparkling clean and comfortable. Twenty-five years later, we still deliver these important core services, which comprise almost half of our annual budget. Day after day, our hard-working street teams are dedicated to the small details that improve quality of life for everyone. Be it sweeping sidewalk debris, removing graffiti, clearing snow from street corners or tracking anti-social behavior, the Village Alliance ensures that the beauty and welcoming spirit of the neighborhood shines through.
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A quarter-century ago, not many people enjoyed a stroll along 8 Street – they couldn’t. Decades earlier the sidewalks had been narrowed to accommodate a streetcar line, which later disappeared. But the sidewalks remained slivers. It took more than five years to remedy the situation – by widening the sidewalks, planting trees, and installing elegant streetlamps. There is now an international movement of such street re-balancings – known as “complete streets” – implemented here in the Village years before the trend emerged. th
Beyond physical improvements, the Village Alliance advocates for and promotes local businesses that contribute to our neighborhood fabric. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the Alliance produced community events such as the Rock-n-Roll Fashion Show on 8th Street and developed targeted promotions to improve the local economy. These days, walking tours, tourist information booths, neighbor discounts and advertising campaigns are but a few of the critical marketing services we offer. As core services, streetscape and marketing initiatives define our role in the neighborhood, but the Village Alliance also produces and hosts events aimed at bringing the community together. Whether it is a networking event, a fundraiser, a lecture or art program, we strive to showcase local businesses, creative talent and academic institutions to both a local audience and the world beyond. The evolution of our placemaking efforts began over a decade ago in Ruth Wittenberg Triangle and on 8th Street, but expanded to include Washington Square Park and the newly refurbished Astor Place plazas. I would like to express tremendous gratitude to our community partners, our elected officials and colleagues in government agencies for partnering in our efforts to improve life in Greenwich Village over the past quarter century. We hope to see you out on Astor Place and throughout the Central Village supporting our local businesses, attending events and in general enjoying the Village’s magnificent history and character. Visit us any time at 8 East 8th Street, we welcome feedback and ideas on how we can make the neighborhood a better place to live, work and visit. Sincerely,
William Kelley Martin Dresner Executive Director President
Cle
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VILLAGE ALLIANCE BY THE NUMBERS ( 1993 / 2018 )
District Population
44,593 / 50,343
Median Income (in 2015 dollars)
$
$
83,500 / 110,000
Median Age Group
Blocks Managed
25-39 / 20-34
25 / 44
Clean Team Members
Tree Pits
Planters/ Hanging Baskets
4/8
39 / 145
0 / 103
Clean Team Hours
Street Furnishings Painted
Sanitation Scorecard
10,016 / 22,868
387 / 6,885
79% / 100%
Community Events Produced
Incidents of Graffiti
2 / 16
1,500 / 377
Blocks Managed
25 / 44
Tons of Trash Removed
Storefront Businesses
Illegal Sidewalk Vendors
317 / 435
126 / 2
621 / 1,094
Trash Receptacles
Public Safety Professionals
Incidents Logged
Patrol Hours
52 / 103
8/3
3,228 / 2,860
9,984 / 6,219
Info Guides Distributed
Village Access Card Participants
Digital Audience
0 / 20,000
0 / 81
600 / 35,000
OF IMPROVING PUBLIC SPACE Improving public open space is central to the Village Alliance mission. Since the beginning, our goal has been to create and maintain beautiful streets, sidewalks and public spaces, ensuring a pedestrian-friendly environment that is the hallmark of Greenwich Village. The Village Alliance prioritizes the human-scale experience by advocating for major ventures like widening 8th Street sidewalks, to the more recent Village Gateway project and Astor Place plaza reconstruction. Our first major capital improvement project was completed in 2003, a $2M streetscape enhancement of 8th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue. Wider sidewalks, dozens of new street trees and decorative cast iron lamp poles with hanging baskets marked a turning point in the previous decline of one of Greenwich Village’s most famous and oft-visited commercial corridors. More recently, the Village Gateway project brought pedestrian safety enhancements to Sixth Avenue and 8th Street corridors in 2016, doubling the size of Ruth Wittenberg Triangle and creating landscaped pedestrian zones at major intersections. The improvements now allow neighbors to enjoy outdoor seating, bicycle lanes and parking corrals, and safer traffic conditions due to lane striping and signal timing changes. The $16M Astor Place/Cooper Square renovation project was the district’s most ambitious capital project to date opening to the public in 2017. The stunning urban design by WXY Studio reimagined
A group of local property owners and merchants led by Norman Buchbinder came together in 1990 to address deteriorating street conditions along 8th Street. The group eventually formed the Village Alliance and sponsored the creation of the city’s 28th Business Improvement District in 1993.
1993
1994
The Village Alliance District Management Association is incorporated; Mayor David Dinkins signs BID into law on September 30th covering 25 blocks with an annual assessment of $476,000
Supplemental sanitation and graffiti removal services begin in March Public safety patrols begin in May, with an immediate crackdown on vending of stolen goods on St. Marks Place
CE and replaced underutilized streets to create over a half-acre of landscaped public plazas in an area of the city sorely lacking in gathering spaces. Our newest public space initiatives involve the production of temporary public art installations in the Central Village. In 2018 we presented the massive sculpture, The Last Three, by Australian artists Gillie and Marc. The Astor Place installation was part of a global campaign entitled “Goodbye Rhinos” aimed at drawing public attention to the imminent extinction of the northern white rhinoceros due to poaching. On the western side of the district, we worked with Czech artist Ondrej
Since the beginning, our goal has been to create and maintain beautiful streets, sidewalks and public spaces, ensuring a pedestrian-friendly environment that is the hallmark of Greenwich Village.
Kobza to bring Poetry Jukebox to Ruth Wittenberg Triangle. An interactive art piece, visitors may select and listen to any of 20 famous local poets reading a sample of their work in their own voices. The Village Alliance will continue to feature public art in locations throughout the district as a means to reflect the artistic heritage of Greenwich Village, engage the public and enliven the neighborhood.
1995
1996
1997
1999
First outdoor “Rock & Roll Fashion Show” features youthoriented fashion on 8th Street
Customized Information Kiosks are constructed for Ruth Wittenberg Triangle and Astor Place.
First Back to School coupon book produced
Astor Place subway triangle landscaped for the first time
First 8th Street retail market study conducted
Retail façade master plan completed Weekly free guided walking tours begin
Holiday lights, caroling and window design competition debut
1998 First comprehensive Greenwich Village tourist website and business directory is developed
Vornado renovates 770 Broadway; VNU leases 500,000 sf and adds over 1,000 employees to district
OF COMMUNITY, COMMERCE & At the core of Village Alliance programming is the belief that a truly successful neighborhood contains not only beautiful public open space, but also a diverse array of retail and cultural establishments. Through the years we have promoted and advocated on behalf of the local independent business community and supported local social service and cultural organizations with modest resources. Our events and promotions have always sought to connect community with commerce and culture. In the days before the digital revolution, the Village Alliance promoted our businesses through coupon books and printed tour guides. We even hired trolleys to bring visitors downtown and experience a bit of Greenwich Village bohemia. Today we still encourage the community to patronize local establishments through digital promotions like Village Vitality and original content on our lively social media channels, @GreenwichVillageNYC and @AstorPlaceNYC. The Village Access Card program, now in its third year with over 80 participating merchants, offers exclusive benefits to neighborhood residents and workers. Our small businesses need your patronage more than ever, visit www.greenwichvillage. nyc/deals to sign up for your free card and explore the best shopping, dining and services the Village has to offer. In addition to our small business promotions, we also produce year-round events aimed at introducing neighbors to our retail, restaurant and cultural partners. Events like the Positively 8th Street Festival, Creativity Cubed, Networking Happy Hours, the Astor Alive! Performing Arts Series and our continued support of Taste of the Village all provide community residents with opportunities to discover new
2000
2002
Community Board 2 votes to approve 8th Street urban design master plan
8th Street construction complete, in all, tinted sidewalks with granite curbs, 34 street trees and 36 cast iron light poles with hanging flower baskets are added to the streetscape
2001 Construction on 8th Street sidewalk widening begins
2003
2005
First Taste of the Village produced to benefit Washington Square Park
Gwathmey Siegel’s “Sculpture for Living” building is developed by The Related Companies at Astor Place.
2004 Elegant steel trash receptacles replaced wire baskets throughout the district 19-25 St. Marks Place redeveloped, site of the original Electric Circus
Greenwich Village Historic Walk of Fame created for self-guided walking tours
WELCOME NEW MERCHANTS
E & CULTURE
&pizza
La Contenta Oeste
740 Broadway
78 West 11th St
Astor Plate
La NewYorkina
Astor Plaza South
Astor Plaza North
Aunt Jake’s
Mango Mango
47 West 8 St
19 St. Marks Place
Ben & Jerry’s
Ono Bowls
24 St. Marks Place
33 East 8th St
Blue Bottle Coffee
Sergimmo Salumeria
101 University Place
462 Sixth Ave
E.A.K. Ramen
Shake Shack
469 Sixth Ave
51 Astor Place
GRK Fresh Greek
Some Good Beer
51 East 8th St
9 East 8th St
Il Laboratorio del Gelato
South of the Clouds
56 University Place
16 West 8th St
Juice Generation
Sweetgreen
experiences and enjoy the neighborhood, while providing
4 Astor Place
101 University Place
valuable patronage to Village merchants. In 2018, stay
Kubeh
Szechuan Mountain House
th
tuned for a full slate of free events, along with the Made
464 Sixth Ave
23 St. Marks Place
on 8 Street series on the 8 of each month (Facebook/
LAC Early Childhood Center
Instagram: @Madeon8thStreet).
2 5th Ave
48 East 8th St
th
th
2006
2008
2009
ERA completed economic analysis to diversify and attract retail
Greenwich Village Destination Guide developed to drive tourism dollars to local merchants; thousands distributed to hotels citywide
First Annual Norman Buchbinder Award presented to NYU for careful restoration of 6-26 East 8th Street
2007 BID expands northward along Sixth Avenue, University Place and Broadway, increasing to 44 blocks and a budget of nearly $1M
Online marketing classes created for district retailers
UBREAKIFIX
2010 Founding Executive Director Honi Klein retires; William Kelley hired from Union Square Partnership
OF CLEAN & GREEN STREETS Since the early 1990s when New York magazine declared, “The Village is Under Siege,” clean and safe streets have been our top priority. For 25 years we have supervised an eight-person Clean Team that sweeps the 44-block district seven days a week, rain, snow or shine. This past year we removed nearly 2.2 million pounds of garbage from the Central Village, and scraped, cleaned or painted 7,262 incidents of graffiti. Our Clean Team also cleared away snow and standing water from public plazas, bus stops and corner crosswalks and maintained the 144 individual chairs, tables, benches and information carts at Astor Place and Ruth Wittenberg Triangle. Over the years we have also focused our efforts on patrols to keep our streets and shops safe. As crime statistics have dropped in local precincts over the past quarter century, we have shifted our funding from paid detail (off-duty) police officers to daytime patrols by a private public safety vendor. Our three public safety ambassadors walk the district seven days a week, and logged 2,860 incidents
2011
2013
Organizational policy changes and staff additions
Positively 8 Street Festival debuts
Communication digitized, first social media channels created
2012 Washington Square Park renovations open to the public Website expansion and rebranding, optimized for mobile use
th
First street conditions census performed Minskoff Equities opens 51 Astor Place, IBM Watson inks lease
2015
2016
Sixth Avenue tree pits widened and refurbished
8th Street/Ruth Wittenberg Triangle pedestrian enhancements built
Village Gateway sidewalk master plan approved by LPC
2014
10,000 subscribers reached across digital platforms
Marlton Hotel opens Crazy 8 Cartoon Festival produced Astor Place reconstruction breaks ground
Village Access Card launched
University Place planters and tree pits installed Mobile app created with 25 self-guided walking tours of Greenwich Village Jim Power’s Mosaic Trail Poles preserved at Astor Place
TS
Since implementing private safety patrols in 2013, major incidents are down 43%. in FY 2018, engaging with the public and providing valuable “eyes on the street” information for local police precincts. Since implementing private safety patrols in 2013, major incidents are down 43%. Beautification initiatives round out our core services, putting
2018 NORMAN BUCHBINDER AWARD And now we’ve come full circle, from our beginnings under founding President Norman Buchbinder to the award given annually in his honor and memory. This year, the 2018 Norman Buchbinder Award is presented to Ancolie, a French-inspired epicurean eatery at 58 West 8th Street that opened in 2016.
the “green’ in Greenwich Village. Our first horticultural endeavors filled three dozen flower baskets along 8th Street as part of our 2002 streetscape master plan. Since then, we have added large planters at Ruth Wittenberg Triangle and along Sixth Avenue, 8th Street and University Place, and now care for lushly landscaped areas at Astor Place. Tree pruning and tree pit maintenance have also been a staple of our work, and in 2018 we renovated the tree pits along East 8th Street to make them more permeable to rain water and promote better tree health. Our green efforts add beauty to the everyday Village streetscape; we now maintain 145 tree pits, 55 street planters and 48 hanging flower baskets along with hundreds of shrubs, flowers and grass plantings at Astor Place.
2017
2018
$16M Astor Place/ Cooper Square plazas open to the public
Public Art Program instituted (The Last Three and Poetry Jukebox)
Village Vitality fitness & lifestyle promotion kicks off district-wide
8th Street tree pits refurbished
20,000 subscribers across Greenwich Village NYC and Astor Place NYC channels
First full season of Astor Place programming: Poetry Jam, Astor Blaster Silent Disco, Creativity Cubed, Astor Alive! and the Cube/Alamo’s 50th Birthday Party.
Long-term maintenance plan implemented for streetscape furnishings Made on 8th Street lifestyle branding launched Digital audience milestone of 35,000 reached
Ancolie is the brainchild of founder and chef Chloe Vichot, who wanted to create an elegant and inviting oasis offering home cooked meals and efficient service. Her unique concept, sourcing healthy ingredients and placing them in a reusable glass jar, makes for a fresh, portable and guilt-free dining experience. Ancolie is one of the only 4-star Certified Green Restaurants in New York City. It is not only Ancolie’s efficient and delicious fare that merits an award, but also Vichot’s dedication to her business and its place in the surrounding community. Her hard work on behalf of merchants and the branding of 8th Street are evident in her time and dedication spent brainstorming new ideas to promote the neighborhood as well as regular participation in community events. It is this pride in community with a focus on neighborhood revitalization that was the hallmark of Mr. Buchbinder, and for which Ancolie enthusiastically deserves the award this year.
FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET FY2018 Budget FY2018 Actual
Revenue BID Assessment
FY2019 Budget
$1,400,000
$1,400,000
$1,400,000
$75,000
$66,000
$75,000
$50,000
$75,000
$75,000
$50,000
$50,000
$50,000
Astor Place Concessions
1
Astor Place Event Fees
2
Astor Place Sponsorships
3
Interest
$2,000
$2,500
$2,000
Grants/Other
$5,000
$20,000
$5,000
$1,582,000
$1,613,500
$1,607,000
TOTAL REVENUE Expenses Program Services Sanitation & Graffiti Removal4
$435,000
Public Safety
$425,000
$472,500
$83,000
$81,000
$93,000
$117,500
$111,500
$119,000
Streetscape/Capital Maintenance
$10,000
$30,000
$25,000
Horticulture
$45,000
$45,000
$45,000
$62,500
$67,500
$2,500
Astor Place Programs
$279,000
$240,000
$229,500
General Administrative Rent & Utilities
$57,412
$60,500
$62,170
Office Administration
$52,200
$56,763
$58,327
Astor Place Administration
$138,500
$136,494
$131,984
Wages/Taxes/Benefits
$361,345
$351,643
$372,228
$1,641,457
$1,605,400
$1,611,209
($59,457)
$8,100
($4,209)
4
Promotion, Marketing & Events
Community Programs
5 6
7
TOTAL PROGRAM & ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURES NET OPERATING COSTS PROJECTED CASH RESERVES As of July 1, 2017
NOTES: 1. Revenue from Astor Place kiosk concessions (opened 4Q FY 2017) 2. Maintenance fee paid by third-party events at Astor Place 3. Program sponsorships from direct fundraising efforts (Astor Place) 4. The proportionate share of Sanitation and Public Safety expenses are accounted for under Astor Place Programs. 5. Includes Washington Square Park Fund disbursement: 50% in FY 2017 and 50% in FY 2018. Funds have accrued separately in the Park Fund. 6. Includes Sanitation, Public Safety, Horticulture, Capital Maintenance and Community Programs at Astor Place 7. Includes Equipment, Supplies, Permits, Insurance, Professional Fees and a portion of staff time.
$634,612 $1,613,500 FY 2018 Revenues ($1,605,400) FY 2018 Expenses
As of July 1, 2018
$642,712
BOARD OF DIRECTORS & STAFF Class A: Property Owners
Class B: Commercial Tenants
Margaret Crowell
Jon Feldman
CAPE ADVISORS, INC.
STUMPTOWN COFFEE ROASTERS
Greg Gushee
Richard Geist
VORNADO REALTY TRUST
THE RELATED COMPANIES
Douglas Gross, Esq., Vice President
Will Morgan
UNCLE SAM’S ARMY NAVY
OFFICERS Martin Dresner, President
GOETZ FITZPATRICK LLP
IDEAL GLASS
Kim Newman
Ian Ginsberg C.O. BIGELOW
Hon. Margaret Chin NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL Class E: Public Members
Jeff Ferzoco Michael E. Levine Meghan Joye REPRESENTATIVE, CB #3, MANHATTAN
William Abramson, Treasurer
THE COOPER UNION
Class C: Residential Tenants
Arlene Peralta
Village Alliance Staff
BUCHBINDER & WARREN, LLC
Adam Pomerantz
Cormac Flynn Tony Hiss Class D: Elected Officials
Terri Howell
Shirley Secunda, Secretary REPRESENTATIVE CB#2 MANHATTAN
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SIXTH AVENUE EQUITIES
Bruce Spiegel ROSE ASSOCIATES, INC
Hon. Bill de Blasio MAYOR, CITY OF NEW YORK
William Kelley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Daniella LaRocco
Jeffrey Sussman
Hon. Gale Brewer
MINSKOFF EQUITIES
MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT
DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Donna Vogel
Hon. Scott Stringer
Will Lewis
GFP REAL ESTATE
COMPTROLLER, CITY OF NEW YORK
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & EVENTS
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS Astor Place
New York Studio School
Workshop
Amy’s Kitchen
NYC Parks
The Public Theater
Winter Indie Film Festival Awards
Ann Taylor LOFT
NYCDOT Weekend Walks
Scribble Art Workshop
Service Vendors
Astor Plate
Storm Ritter Studio
The Strangers Project
Karin Bacon
Con Edison
Textile Arts Center
TD Bank
Blenderbox
The Cooper Union
Uncle Sam’s Army Navy
Promotional Partners
Bulfamante Landscaping
Dyson
Washington Square Park Conservancy
305 Fitness
West 8th Street Block Association
Amelie
Facebook GFP Real Estate HBO MailOnline
Performing Arts Partners
Minskoff Equities
American Mime Theatre
New York Health & Racquet Club
Blue Man Group
New York University
The Cooper Union
New York Sports Club New York University NYC Department of Transportation La Newyorkina Pine Mountain The Related Companies Sabra Senator Brad Hoylman Smartwater The Standard Hotel
Bowery Poetry Grace Church School Hetrick-Martin Institute
Agata & Valentina Ancolie Il Bambino Barre 3 C. O. Bigelow Blue Man Group East Village Independent Merchant Association
Joe’s Pub at The Public
Eva’s Kitchen & Supplements
La Mama E.T.C.
Eve Salon
Ori Flomin Dance
Flywheel Sports
Peridance Contemporary Dance
Greenwich Village/Chelsea Chamber of Commerce
The Public Theater
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
St. John’s University Public Art Partners
Intelligent Nutrients Karine Kazarian
Three Jewels Yoga
Buchbinder & Warren, LLC
Vornado Realty Trust
City Lore
The Library at the Public Theater
Zagat’s
The Cooper Union
Loring Place
Zico Coconut Water
Councilmember Rosie Mendez
Nix
Positively 8th Street 305 Fitness Analogue Ancolie Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor Buchbinder & Warren, LLC Greenwich Village/Chelsea Chamber of Commerce Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Il Bambino
Czech Tourism Board Fourth Arts Block Gillie & Marc Bob Holman Manhattan Sideways James and Karla Murray Nat Geo Wild
Ono Bowls La Paniniera The Public Theater Salon V See’s Candies Textile Arts Center Three Jewels Tortaria
NYC Parks
Uptown Pilates
NYC Department of Transportation
The Villager
Jefferson Market Library
Clayton Patterson
Lomography
Oj Pejeta Conservancy
Neighborhood Preservation Center
Jim Power Processional Arts
The Walker Hotel Washington Square Park Conservancy Wildlife Conservation Film Festival
Ch’I Design Citiesense Coffee Cup Design Studio Reva Cooper Jane Cowan Design Group Italia Ian Douglas Photography Electrical Illuminations by Arnold Fulcrum Grafilicious Julie Brown Harwood Photography Hello World Productions Honig Conte Porrino Insurance Intersection Media Landscape Forms Ariel Lembeck Live XYZ Loom Britannia Charles Ludeke Photography Jane Marx Metro Rentals Joanna Micek MTWTF One Dream Sound Julie Powell Preferred Security Project for Public Spaces Skody, Scot & Co. SOS Security Streetplus Tuuci Urban Arborists Victor Stanley Western Pest Services WXY Studio
Village Alliance
8 East 8th Street New York, NY 10003 212.777.2173
Connect with us online:
Greenwich Village NYC – www.greenwichvillage.nyc Astor Place NYC – www.astorplace.nyc
About the cover For 25 years the Village Alliance has supported its local businesses as an integral part of the community. These 25 portraits of 8th Street entrepreneurs by photographer Julie Brown Harwood exemplify the vibrancy and diversity of Greenwich Village’s retail and restaurant scene. From top left, moving left to right: Row 1 – Lena, Sticky’s Finger Joint, Eva’s Supplements, Culture Yogurt Co., Shop Untitled Row 2 – See’s Candies, La Panineria, 305 Fitness, Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor, 8th Street Winecellar Row 3 – Village Alliance, Lomography, Salon V, Mind Boggler, New York Studio School Row 4 – Rasa, Ancolie, Some Good Wine, Uncle Sam’s, Analogue Row 5 – Mount Sinai Doctors, Village Alliance, Storm Ritter Studio, Amelie, Il Bambino Photo credits: Ian Douglas, Julie Brown Harwood, Honi Klein, Will Lewis, Annie Schlechter, David Sigal Design: Fil Vocasek
