Murals on Pitkin Avenue

I had an opportunity to tour Pitkin Avenue yesterday with Daniel Murphy, the ED of the Pitkin Avenue BID. In addition to some great pizza, we enjoyed a beautiful day on the strip during our diagnostic site visit. Having completed a market study on Pitkin over three years ago before Dan's tenure, it was great to see the impact he has had in relatively short period of time. One thing caught my eye...the stunning new murals that Dan made happen (and that have remained graffiti free!), courtesy of funding from the NEA Our Town program and in partnership with Groundswell and the NYC Department of Probation. This community has seen its fair share of challenges, but these murals speak the potential and future of this incredibly diverse community.

BID Tips for Snow Removal

This winter has been a brutal one. Many businesses and commercial districts have struggled to keep up with snow removal. Contributor Chris Bernardo, Principal of Commercial District Services LLC, a provider of supplemental services to managers of outdoor public spaces, offers our readers a few valuable tips for dealing with these snowy challenges. 

As we enter the last few weeks of our most recent winter of discontent and the snow banks scattered around our commercial districts begin to decrease in size and fill the sewer drains with slush water and thawed pieces of litter and debris, it seems like a good time to look back and share some thoughts on snow management in commercial districts.

As cities struggle to maintain sufficient levels of police and sanitation services, most Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have adopted programs that fund supplemental services to provide increased police/security patrols and sanitation/litter removal. In almost all cases, these supplemental services are superior to those that the public sector could provide given the available resources and City budgets that are already stretched to the limit.

Similar to Police and Sanitation services, many BIDs are finding that supplemental Snow Plowing and Snow Removal services are necessary in order to free up parking spots and to keep roadways from becoming too narrow. For those districts that find themselves faced with this option, there are some things to consider when planning out your snow removal strategy:

• It’s important to determine if the main commercial strip can accommodate snow piles, if so, you may be able to simply plow the snow from the parking spaces into piles at the end of each block. If there is no room for snow piles or they create too much of a hazard, then it will be necessary to physically remove the snow from the district, which increases the cost and coordination needed.
• Does your city prohibit parking on snow covered roadways? If not, you will need to coordinate an emergency “no-parking” strategy with the City, which needs to be planned for well in advance of the winter. It is advisable to draft a plan and distribute it to property owners and tenants at the beginning of the winter season so that they are prepared to move their vehicles, before being ticketed and towed. Not having a “no parking” plan in place can make or break a successful snow removal strategy. Getting the necessary approvals and coordinating the enforcement of prohibited parking can take longer than is practical. A solid “no parking” plan should include a local ordinance which identifies those specific streets within the BID where prohibited parking will be in effect, an MOU between the BID and local Police Department/Parking Authority stating the mutual commitment of each party to enforcing the ordinance and the understanding that Police personnel/power will need to be deployed in order to enforce the ordinance, ticket/tow vehicles and enforce traffic/street closures.
• Where will the snow be placed once it is removed from the district? Carting snow is a slow process, a large dump truck with a 20 cubic yard roll-off can take a while to get from point a to b…if it takes 15 minutes to fill the truck and 45 minutes to transport the snow it’s gonna be a long night. It’s important to find a location in close proximity to the district, so that the least amount of time possible, is used to transport the snow.
• Go big or not all…don’t make the mistake of underestimating the amount of snow that is actually on the street. A large loader is going to remove more snow in a shorter period of time than a Bobcat. In order to have the biggest impact possible for your stakeholders, consider using at least two large loaders and no less than four dump trucks.
• Be ready to spend between $10K-$15k on an 8-10 hour session, overnight, on private snow removal services in order to have a sufficient impact on the district.

Hopefully the tips above will help you plan out the best possible snow removal program for your district!

Are There Viable Alternatives to Roll Down Gates?

A graffiti-covered roll down gate

Roll down gates. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they are a reality in many urban communities. To the average consumer, the presence of roll down gates suggests crime, lack of security and overall urban blight. Yet to many business owners in communities with historically high levels of crime, the idea of openly displaying the merchandise in their store after hours is like an invitation to smash and grab. The roll down gate gives them security and peace of mind not only from theft, but also from vandalism in the form of graffiti or glass etching. 

Yet more and more communities are finding that the removal of roll down gates does not result in an increase in either theft or vandalism. In 2009, the New York City Council passed a law requiring see through gates that offer 75% visibility (the law only applies to new gate installation), determining that the benefits outweigh the risks. The idea is that transparent gates (or no gates at all) offer ambient light in the evening that helps keep a street safer, allows police to see inside a store in case of an emergency, and helps to make a neighborhood look and feel safer. Store owners also find that visibility can be helpful - customers are able to browse when the store is closed and perhaps find a reason to come back. In some communities the Commercial District Management Association has tied the distribution of storefront improvement dollars with the replacement of solid roll down gates, a nice carrot that encourages business owners to do what they otherwise might not. 

As Commercial District Managers grapple with convincing their business owners to give gateless windows a try, we sought to offer some alternatives that we have seen work...

Behind-the-Window Roll Down Gate. If roll down gates are required, these by far are my favorite option. They provide a nice balance between business and community concerns. One good example is The Elbow Room, a mac-and-cheese shop in downtown Newark, NJ. The see through roll down gate is located behind the window, allowing the renovation of a historic storefront to shine, even when the store is closed. 

Look Ma, No Gates at All! In some communities, the lack of roll down gates by newer businesses is a sign of confidence in overall community safety. 

Transparency at Eye Level. Not the best option...but an option. 

And then there is the option of "If you Can’t Beat em, Join ‘em."

Lauren Collins, Executive Director of the Church Avenue BID
at the press event for  "Uncover Church Avenue"

That is exactly what the Church Avenue Business Improvement District in Brooklyn, NY did. Executive Director (and Coro Neighborhood Leadership alum) Lauren Collins drew her inspiration to create a storefront mural program after she and I discussed the success of the Excelsior Storefront Mural Program in San Francisco (http://www.eagsf.org/excelsior-mural-program.html) - a program I was familiar with from my years running LISC's national commercial technical assistance program. Lauren took the idea and ran with it, engaging local artists in a competition that garnered over 50 submissions. Volunteers even helped paint the murals. The program, entitled “Uncover Church Avenue”, garnered local press and participating businesses were thrilled to receive makeovers. Here is a local news piece on the program. 

How can downtown remain competitive in the face of online shopping?

It should come as no surprise that we continue to see the rapid growth of on-line shopping. Virtual and mobile sales now account for 10% of all sales, and experts suggest that number will grow to 20% before long. So how do downtown and neighborhood commercial districts compete? Rest assured, the retail industry is not taking the threat of on-line shopping lightly. There are a few things that we can learn from how the retail industry is responding to the changing nature of consumer shopping habits...

Multichannel retailing – not just for the big guys
Many retailers reported a lackluster holiday season, but Macy’s was not among them [“Macy’s shows it can make big bucks online”, Crain’s New York, 1/13]. Admittedly, Macy’s is closing downtown department stores in under performing markets. On the flip side, the storied department store has figured out a way to turn the threat of online shopping into an opportunity. This year alone the department store has seen a 52% increase in online sales.

Being able to search and buy on-line – even when in the store – effectively allows Macy's to offer more inventory with less space, and move overflow items out of some stores and into shoppers hands before the need to discount. While the future of the downtown department store remains unknown, the ability to turn on-line shopping into an opportunity to grow market share is still a critical play in the downtown revitalization playbook.

For downtown merchants, here are a few options for selling on-line:

• Create a "downtown" website. Some downtown organizations are helping small businesses by creating destination shopping websites. When retailers combine forces, they can build an on-line identity that plays on people’s desires to buy local. In Oakland, California, the City of Oakland has spearheaded a “Shop Oakland” website that focuses on listing local businesses and highlights their on-line offerings.
• Creating new venues for on-line sales...it's not just about a website. The term F-Commerce is not yet widely known, but will be soon. Some small businesses are gaining traction selling via Facebook using services like Payvment that provide support for Facebook transactions.
• Use existing, well known channels for selling. Etsy is another way to build an on-line presence, especially for specialty retailers. 

Offer an Experience, Not Just a Place to Shop

A ropes course at the Palisades Mall in
New City, NY keeps
kids busy while parents shop. 

On-line shopping has also changed the way shopping centers and districts think about their overall tenant mix and offerings. Many shopping centers now try to offer an experience that cannot be rivaled by the comfort of one’s home. On a recent trip to Palisades Mall, a super-regional mall outside of New York City, I noted a new ropes course in the middle of the atrium. Shopping is clearly not the only thing that drives visitors to this mall. According to a recent WSJ article, this trend is growing. Mall owners are adding more “restaurants, upscale movie theatres, supermarkets and other tenants that offer goods and experiences that can’t be found on-line.” Downtowns can and should be thinking about doing the same. 

Make it Convenient

Malls are not stopping at creating experiences either. In an attempt to capture the shopper on the other end of the spectrum, some malls are “reconfiguring more stores to have direct access to parking lots, so shoppers can dash in and out for quick service rather than having to traverse the entire shopping center.”  

So what does all of this mean for the downtown shopping district? First, it means that we have to recognize the need to compete for shoppers on two fronts – first by offering an unrivaled experience that compels visitors to leaves the confines of their home, and second by ensuring that the shopping experience is convenient and easy. That means convincing shoppers that visiting your district will save them time if they only needs the basics, but should they decide to stay, there is an experience to be had. Urban commercial districts are taking the leap, many are ramping up their entertainment offerings in creative ways - encouraging ambient entertainment offerings like musicians, magicians, artists, etc. as well as impulse entertainment offerings, like Jane's Carousel in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn. 

Spruce up to Remain Competitive

With so little new inventory and construction underway, some of the most well located shopping centers are taking the opportunity to overhaul and reposition their existing asset. "After decades of retail construction...much of the country is overbuilt, and online shopping has crimped many retailers' store-opening plans. In an attempt to keep shoppers coming...mall owners and retailers are shifting to renovations. ["Malls Get Facelift to Pull in Shoppers", WSJ, 12/18].  If competitive shopping districts are upgrading, you need to make sure that you remain competitive by keeping your district clean, neat and well managed.

Commercial districts need facelifts too....

I just love this article in the WSJ...and it applies to commercial districts as well. Malls Get Facelift to Pull In Shoppers (Wall Street Journal, 12/18). Here are a few choice quotes that inspired me to think about how these same principles apply to urban commercial districts and traditional downtowns.

The good news....

• "Making what you already have as good as it can be is the best way to go." My thoughts...Commercial districts need to continually improve and upgrade. It's critical to remain relevant to your customer base. 
• "Landlords and analysts say the improvements can generate annual income of as much as 10% to 12% of the cost of the upgrades." My thoughts...this is a great argument to use with local property owners and business owners. 
• "Mall owners are adding more restaurants, upscale movie theaters, supermarkets and other tenants that offer goods and experiences that can't be found online." My thoughts...the good news is that downtown and urban areas already offer the experience and tenant mix described here...it's an asset to build from!

...and the bad.

• "The retail-property industry has a long history of throwing good money after bad by trying to save shopping centers facing tough competition and growing vacancy rates." Does this meant that already flailing commercial districts may not make good investments??
• "most redevelopment is taking place at the country's top-performing malls" Convincing mall owners to invest in lower performing malls proves as challenging as convincing property owners to invest in properties in communities that are seemingly struggling...

Lesson Learned: The Most Common Streetscape Improvement Mistake

Streetscape improvements are a common and popular way to spruce up a retail district. Sidewalks, curbs, trees, landscaping, etc....the idea is that these improvements will result in a more attractive and welcoming environment for visitors, shoppers, and ultimately businesses. This kind of improvement is relatively easy. Infrastructure money can often be wrestled from Federal and State sources, and the visible improvements are always a favorite of local elected officials, who can often be counted on to contribute additional dollars. So what is wrong with this scenario? Win, win, right?

A new brick sidewalk in Kansas City, KA. Vacancies remain.

If only that were the case. Organizations intent on improving the downtown streetscape should heed this word of warning...avoid installing brick sidewalks and pavers. Communities are increasingly turning away from this once popular option, citing slip and fall lawsuits, on-going maintenance challenges, and increasingly the recognition that brick sidewalks are insignificant to the shopper experience. Consider Salem, MA, where they are actually pulling and paving the brick sidewalks that were installed in the 1990's after complaints from businesses ["Salem pulling, paving downtown brick crosswalks"]. Shoppers want a clean environment, and well maintained concrete sidewalks, for instance, are just as effective not to mention less expensive and easier to maintain. Now THAT is a win, win.

Own up. 30% of a shopper's experience belongs to you...

It's time to face the hard, cold truth. Shoppers visit a district to shop. No one ever says "I shop there because the street lamps are AMAZING!" or "Man, you gotta go to that district, those brick pavers are HOT!" Ultimately, people choose to shop, not because of good lighting or decent signage, but because of the retail offerings and merchandise. The research, and not to mention good ole common sense, back this up.

Yet a shopper's decision to visit your district is based on multiple factors - a big part of which you DO in fact control.  Customer loyalty research, some of which is being done by the Verde Group, sheds light on what makes shoppers loyal versus recoil. What they have found is that 70% of a shoppers decision are based on "inside the store issues" - things related to merchandise mix, price point, customer service, etc. These are all issues that often can only be addressed by the merchant.

Yet its not all bad news, the balance, or about 30% of customer loyalty, can be attributed to "outside the store issues" - the location, the convenience or accessibility of the district (aesthetics, safety), the look and feel of the district, district amenities (are there activities for kids?), entertainment offerings (street musicians? general ambiance?), retail mix (is there a good balance of stores, a nice place to grab a bite after a day of shopping?), and the physical conditions of the street, etc.

Whenever I share this concept with groups of commercial district managers, I get responses that range from relief to frustration. Relief because I have better defined their role - or better yet the limitations of their responsibilities - but also frustration because it becomes clear that they do not control the majority of issues that affect shopper choice. Yet when you know WHAT you control - and make no bones about it, 30% of a shoppers decision is a big chunk - you can be better at doing your job.

In this competitive environment, your work on that 30% becomes even more critical. It can make the difference in that split decision when a shopper decides whether to turn left or right out of their front door, that is, between spending money in your district versus another.

Using Murals to Reinvent the Roll Down Gate

 


One of the winning murals. Love it!


About a year ago, Lauren Elvers Collins, Executive Director of the Church Avenue Business Improvement District, called me up to chat about ways to spruce up her district for a grant proposal. She mentioned how the look and feel of the district changed so abruptly the minute businesses rolled down their solid gates - not an uncommon challenge in many urban commercial districts. The discussion reminded me of a great program that I was familiar with from my work at LISC. The Excelcior Action Group (one of my all time favorite organizations!) has a wonderful Mural Program that works to beautify the district's numerous solid roll down gates while also reducing the incidence of graffiti. Lauren took the idea and ran with it, turning this simple concept into an exciting program that included significant community input, and a competition that spurred media input.


UCA Exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library

 
Church Avenue BID's Uncover Church Avenue initiative is a great example of how BIDs are carrying out this type of program with maximum community input at every step of the process. Thanks to this initiative, Church Avenue in Brooklyn, NY will have five new colorful and vibrant additions to the neighborhood this spring.

Uncover Church Avenue is a public art competition that was designed to bring attention to the district. What it also does is beautify the street (particularly in the evening) with artwork by local artists, while also abating graffiti in the district. The contest engages artists, residents, children, and merchants to take an active role in deciding the look of their neighborhood. The five winning designs - selected from over 50 submissions from Brooklyn-based artists and students, will be installed on commercial gates along the Avenue. The goal is to encourage vibrant commercial activity along a stretch with the most abundant vacancies, and to highlight and promote the unique character of the neighborhood. Merchants see the potential in promoting their business, local artists have a new venue to display their work, and curious residents have a new reason to walk down the street.

Visit the program's blog to see the winning designs, learn step-by-step how the project developed, and to stay current on the murals' progress.

And if you're in the neighborhood - visit the Flatbush Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library through Feb. 24 to see images of mural sites and all submitted mural proposals.

It's Not Just About Neighborhood Pride: Murals Prevent Graffiti AND Drive Retail Sales

Graffiti covered walls and trash strewn streets are not exactly the most attractive additions to your commercial district. But then sometimes the remedy is not much more attractive than the original problem. We recently toured a commercial district in downtown Newark, NJ and talked to businesses who have given up on the painting and repainting necessary to keep graffiti in check. To make matters worse, the paint jobs are sometimes a mish-mash of different paint colors that look messy, and while an improvement, still communicate a not so positive message about the district to shoppers.

A Better Method - Murals!
The verdict is in - and we now know without a doubt that there is a better way. Neighborhood murals not only prevent graffiti, but are good for local business. A 2008 study by E-Consult, among the most comprehensive of it's kind, looked at 265 commercial corridors in the City of Philadelphia and found a positive correlation between corridor success (as measured by retail sales) and the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Murals have an amazing way of creating neighborhood pride, building a neighborhood identity - and more so than a temporary paint fix - are well respected by neighbors who become their unofficial stewards and protectors. The need to paint over the same wall again and again and again is often a thing of the past.

Engaging youth in this effort is another powerful way to work towards long-term graffiti prevention. One Washington D.C. non-profit is doing just that. The Latin American Youth Center Art + Media House partners with local artists to create murals that brighten up the community. Tim Gibbons is a local artist who helped facilitate a group of 14 youth this past summer brighten up a cement wall...see more of the wonderful results here on his blog. Certainly an improvement, and a lesson learned that engaging youth in this effort can accomplish multiple goals - the least of which might just be an improvement in retail sales for local businesses.