Hello BHA Community - Earlier today Curbed published an online article about the challenges and opportunities facing Montague Street. The piece highlights the frustrations of a variety of stakeholders: the small businesses struggling with rising rents and an uncertain customer base, the landlords dealing with an unwieldy tax burden, and local residents (us!) craving a lively and vibrant shopping and strolling destination that doesn't yet exist. None of this is news to us. (Read the article here.) The BHA is working hard to bring the types of businesses you said you want to Montague Street. We've had some successes, but there is yet more work to be done. We are also working to understand more about who is coming to Montague Street, how they are getting here, and what they do once they're here. The BHA and the Montague Street BID have together commissioned a study by Sam Schwartz Engineering to collect precisely this information and more. We’re excited to announce that we'll be holding community meetings to discuss the findings of the study in January and in February. Please stay tuned for more details on the meetings. As always, we're grateful for your engagement in improving our community. And although the title of the article may be pessimistic, we are bullish on the future of Montague Street! PS: Between Dec 1 - 15, do your shopping, celebrating, self-care, or anything at a Montague Street business, and get a professional photoshoot with Stoop Stories, NYC's favorite documentary storytelling platform that connects neighbors to each other and their communities. It's a great way to support local businesses and get a great free portrait, family, or holiday photo at the same time. Visit https://montaguebid.com for more information. |