Reported for Flatiron Hot! News by Katherine Jin

The 12^th annual Flatiron 23^rd Street BID Meeting that took place on June 6^th at the Grey Group Town Hall began with an introduction from Jennifer Brown, the executive director for the Flatiron 23^rd Street Partnership. She acknowledged the great people and teams that have turned the district around and made it one of the hottest places to live and work in Manhattan, and reflected on the innumerable achievements they had accomplished in the past year.

The most notable accomplishments were the opening of many businesses and residential buildings (including the Freehand Hotel and the 65-story Madison Square Park Tower), enhancing of public programs and events, and expanding of beautification initiatives. The FY18 Summer Series built off the success of the previous year’s expansion in programming, and showed an impressive growth in attendance of 201%. The popular hanging flower baskets program also grew from 44 streetlamp poles to 115 locations district-wide, and seasonal plantings ushered in each period of the year. The biggest victory, however, was the decision to make the widely beloved Public Plazas a permanent fixture in the neighborhood, after having a “temporary” status for ten years.

Other significant successes include clean streets, public safety, and social services. The Clean Streets Program received a special shout out from Brown for their excellent work this past winter, when the city received 15% more snow than average. It is the BID’s largest program, and its hardworking team keeps the district looking its best in all weather conditions. Its dedication to collecting trash, removing graffiti, and placing trash receptacles, tree pit guards, benches, news boxes, fire hydrants, and mailboxes along the streets have earned The Clean Team endless praise and extremely high satisfaction ratings. The BID’s Public Safety Team tirelessly keeps the community safe and enjoyable to live in, patrolling the neighborhood year-round, documenting thousands of issues, and distributing information to visitors and local businesses. Finally, the BID partners with outreach workers from Urban Pathways to provide critical services to the homeless population in the district. They provide ongoing assistance, program referrals, and shelter and housing options to nearly 600 people, 5 days a week.

After a rundown on the FY2019 budget by Jason Vacker, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer further congratulated the BID on its outstanding work developing the district. She especially noted the strong sense of community the BID fosters as well as the extensive outreach programs in place to help the homeless population. She also shared insight on neighborhood economic development, tech and open data, and research into commercial vacancies in NYC.

Deputy Inspector Hellman of the NYPD 13^th Precinct then talked about Precision Policing and the new Neighborhood Policing Program coming to the precinct later this year. The idea of precision policing was born out of the lessons learned from stop-and-frisk, and involves targeting the ‘worst of the worst’, responsible for the most crime in the neighborhoods. This way, crime can be kept low with fewer stops of non-offenders. In the same effort to replace confrontation with community engagement and transparency, the NYPD will also implement the Neighborhood Policing Program, where the same police patrol a small area over the long term and interact with the community there. After the agitation and distrust that developed from stop-and-frisk, building understanding, friendly relationships between locals and the police is a top priority, and the police want residents to feel more comfortable calling for help.

After a quick nomination and election of directors overseen by BID nominating committee chair Rick Locker, City Council member Carlina Rivera shared how important small business is to her personally and to NYC, as well as her open-door policy to learn ideas directly from the community. She has seen personally the challenges small businesses must face, and has a special dedication to the neighborhood from having grown up here. Her open door policy means she is always willing to listen to the concerns and ideas of the neighborhood, believing that the best ideas often come from the communities themselves.

The BID was then treated to a special presentation by Geoffrey Newman on Fotografiska, a Swedish photography museum opening at 281 Park Avenue South in spring 2019. A revolutionary cultural institution that combines shopping, food, nightlife, and art, its mission is to foster communication and interpersonal connections, and to inspire a more conscious world. It is an exciting mix of popular culture, laid-back luxury, and eye-opening awareness, and will be a valuable asset to the district. Discover more on their website.

Finally, the 2018 awards were presented to individuals and institutions who have truly dedicated their time and energy to serving the district. Matar Ndiaye, Ousmane Sarr, and Scott Kimmins were presented with Outstanding Service Awards, MoMath received the annual Partnership Award, Michael Cohen of Colliers International was given the Chairman’s Award, and eight companies in the district were recognized for their generous support in beautifying Flatiron with the Greening the District Awards.

The meeting ended with a Flatiron Summer Series promotional video highlighting the public programs being offered this season, and perfectly summing up the strengths of the community. Thanks to the commitment of the BID and the people within the Flatiron community, the district is thriving and will continue to grow.

To see the meeting notes, click here, and to view the BID’s recap of the meeting, view their newsroom here. Check out more photos from the meeting here.

Check out a visual recap of the event here: