The Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront Business Improvement District (YDWBID) covers an area with commercial and residential properties that has undergone rapid growth in recent years. According to a map on YDWBID”™s internet site, the area it covers is irregular in shape, stretching to the Hudson River on the west, Chicken Island on the east, St. Joseph”™s Medical Center on the south and Wells Avenue on the north.
Against the background of the new development that has been taking place, the YDWBID has been working to help make the district a more appealing place to live and shop. The YDWBID is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was formed in 2002.
“At that point, downtown Yonkers was a different kind of a place. It was a working and living hub, but it also had an element to it that made people uncomfortable,” Sara Brody, the current executive director of the YDWBID, told the Business Journals. “The commercial and residential business owners generally felt that they wanted some assistance in enhancing the quality of life for those who came to shop, who were commuting or for those who lived here.”
The YDWBID describes itself as having been formed to build working partnerships, encourage investment, and support initiatives for a healthier commercial district in Yonkers”™ downtown.
“We are a conduit for a lot of assistance that new or current businesses need from the city or even just in general,” Brody said.
Today, the area covered by the YDWBID is home to more than 250 businesses. One of the new restaurants in the district is Off the Hook, a seafood restaurant that opened its doors earlier this year. Zuppa a restaurant that opened in downtown Yonkers fairly early in the revitalization. Other well-known eateries include X2O Xaviars on the Hudson and Guapo, a restaurant open since 2010 that serves both Mexican and Cuban food. Adjacent to St. John”™s Episcopal Church is the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom, a large venue for social events that can accommodate about 600 people. Retail clothing options include Rainbow Shop and Easy Pickins, as well as Sneaker World.
One of the YDWBID”™s crucial functions is in marketing. YDWBID conducts advertising campaigns for its own events and also helps get the word out about businesses within the district, many of which do little or no advertising on their own.
“Many of the mom-and-pop businesses do not have the resources to spend on marketing, so quite often we work to help by promoting the businesses so they can be successful,” Brody said.
The YDWBID also engages the community through its events. A new one, the Yonkers Downtown Farmers Market, will operate on Sundays from June to November in Van Der Donck Park, near the Yonkers train station. Vendors will offer various meats, produce and other foodstuffs.
“The YMCA will provide nutrition and educational programs about produce and cooking,” Brody said. “The market will reflect the many different cultures that are represented here. Additionally, the farmers market will be accepting SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) vouchers and other types of supplemental payment programs. It”™ll take everything.”
Another event YDWBID is preparing is a two-day-long Winter Market on Dec. 10 and 11. It would be the second time this Winter Market has been set up in the area, and it is to feature activities for children, music and vendors selling items not typically found in stores in the district.
Recalling last year”™s Winter Market, Brody said, “What we found was that people were coming out of the surrounding areas that we had never met before and said to me, ”˜This is fantastic.”™ We”™re trying to engage people in the neighborhood and provide activities to enjoy the full potential and the beauty of the area.”
The Yonkers Police Department (YPD) plays a large role in maintaining security in the district. The YPD has an outpost in the area and officers patrol on foot, on bike and in cars. Police officers make it a point to build rapport with the community.
“The YDWBID meets with the police once a month,” Brody said. “We provide a one-on-one experience, whether we speak with the captain and the lieutenant of the 4th Precinct directly or whether we provide a direct line of communication for our residential or commercial district members who are having challenges.”
Sanitation and beautification are important services provided by the YDWBID. The cleaning and maintenance staff, the Yonkers Downtown Rangers, help maintain clean streets and parks by picking up errant pieces of trash, emptying garbage pails and pet waste receptacles, and power washing sidewalks. The YDWBID also has a contract with a landscaping company to provide plantings and plant upkeep.
“We work closely with the developers, some of whom are on our board, to make suggestions about what”™s needed in the area,” Brody said. “We also try to help the new businesses that are coming into the area to work more easily with the building department.”
Covid remains a concern for the YDWBID, and it follows New York state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and protocols.
“We plan on moving forward with our normal roster of community-based events, though we keep an eye on the ever-changing Covid restrictions and have plans in place should restrictions need to be reinstated,” Brody said.
A goal for the latter half of 2022 is expansion of the area served by the YDWBID.
“It”™s to our benefit, with all the new residential and commercial buildings, to expand,” Brody said. “We are also figuring out what the changing needs are for our community. I think 2023 will be very transitional as we continue to work on improving the quality of life in downtown Yonkers.”
