Watch out, Brooklyn.
New Rochelle is in the hunt to steal your near-patented trendiness with its own version of, “If you feed and entertain them, they will come.” Even the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce has noticed and joined the party.
To capture summer audiences every Saturday through Oct. 26 ”“ and perhaps to keep them as entrepreneurs and homeowners ”“ the Queen City of the Sound, under the aegis of its business-and grant-funded Business Improvement District, launched the food-centric New Rochelle Downtown Grand Market at Library Green, 1 Lawton St., June 1. About 600 people showed up that first day.
Said Ralph DiBart, who was recruited from a background in economic development and urban revitalization and who has run the New Rochelle BID for 12 years, “More people are showing up every week. People are talking. We”™re thrilled by the reception.”
Twenty-five rotating and permanent vendors signed up originally. But the market”™s success quickly attracted four more players: Herkimer County-based Gaia”™s Breath Farms organic meats and produce; Orange County-based MimoMex Farms Mexican produce; Dutchess County-based Ronnie Brook Farms yogurt, milk, creme fraiche and ice cream; and an artisan crepes maker called Crepes!
The BID Dine Downtown campaign is also active at the market, as is BID Family Days, which partners with FunFuzion at New Roc City for occasional clown performances.
DiBart said the city 12 years ago was in the midst of a large revitalization campaign. “It began at exit 15 on I-95 and segued into the New Roc and Avalon on the Sound projects,” he said. “This focus is just on the downtown ”“ concentrated in that distinct geographic area.”
The BID boasts a prominent hand in some $100 million of business development downtown.
“We had to move the big three properties first,” DiBart said of early BID efforts. “And we did ”“ we sold privately on behalf of the owners of all three properties.” These included 100,000 square feet at the former Bloomingdale”™s (now Davenport Lofts on Main) and 40,000 square feet at the former Lillian Vernon store (now 543 Main Street Condos with Consignment on Main retailing on the ground floor). The third big property was Librett Hardware store”™s 25,000 square feet, which had been vacant for three years when Monroe College took it over for housing.
That was just the start. “One by one we began working with small business owners,” DiBart said. “The idea was to create a living room for the entire community. And several businesses suggested we create a food market. It opened June 1 and we are turning Library Green into the place to be every Saturday.”
If other municipalities are trying to become destinations, Di Bart said, “New Rochelle is already a destination city. We have great community life, great education, great recreation and housing, a full-service downtown and one of the busiest libraries in the county. Given the travails that many Main Streets are experiencing these days, we are witnessing our commercial vacancy rate going down.”
The “Brooklyn Eats” booth every weekend will include artisanal foods from that trendiest of boroughs. Last week featured jams and June 29 expected to see Kings County Jerky Co. present its grass-fed, pasture-raised, no-corn syrup, hormone- and antibiotic-free wares. In order for humble jerky to achieve Brooklyn hipster status, “We toast and grind our own spices and hand-trim each slice of beef to ensure only lean protein in every bite.”
Other nonfood artisans on site will sharpen knives and hawk soaps and oils. And for those who look up in the neighborhood, the BID has revitalized second-floor artist lofts with help from a state Main Street grant and the city of New Rochelle”™s business retention fund.
To date, the state has awarded the nonprofit BID a total of $900,000 in Main Street grants. Besides upstairs art spaces, the funding has included improvements to some 125 downtown facades.
The demonstrable improvements and the market deserve theme music ”¦ and they have it, thanks to the BID. At 7 p.m. July 18 and 25 and again Aug. 1, the BID hosts Music on the Green: pop, salsa, rhythm and rock July 18; Motown July 25; and swing Aug. 1. The Downtown Grand Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
