Village Alliance FY 2018 Annual Report

Dear Neighbors,

Since 1993, the Village Alliance has focused on keeping the streets of the Central Village sparkling clean and comfortable. Twenty-five years later, we still deliver these important core services, which comprise almost half of our annual budget. Day after day, our hard-working street teams are dedicated to the small details that improve quality of life for everyone. Be it sweeping sidewalk debris, removing graf-fiti, clearing snow from street corners or tracking anti-social behavior, the Village Alliance ensures that the beauty and welcoming spirit of the neighborhood shines through.

A quarter-century ago, not many people enjoyed a stroll along 8th Street – they couldn’t. Decades earlier the sidewalks had been narrowed to accommodate a streetcar line, which later disappeared. But the sidewalks remained slivers. It took more than five years to remedy the situation – by widening the sidewalks, planting trees, and installing elegant streetlamps. There is now an international movement of such street re-balancings – known as “complete streets” – implemented here in the Village years before the trend emerged.

Beyond physical improvements, the Village Alliance advocates for and promotes local busi-nesses that contribute to our neighborhood fabric. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the Alliance produced community events such as the Rock-n-Roll Fashion Show on 8th Street and devel-oped targeted promotions to improve the local economy. These days, walking tours, tourist information booths, neighbor discounts and advertising campaigns are but a few of the critical marketing services we offer.

As core services, streetscape and marketing initiatives define our role in the neighborhood, but the Village Alliance also produces and hosts events aimed at bringing the community together. Whether it is a networking event, a fundraiser, a lecture or art program, we strive to showcase local businesses, creative talent and academic institutions to both a local audience and the world beyond. The evolution of our placemaking efforts began over a decade ago in Ruth Wittenberg Triangle and on 8th Street, but expanded to include Washington Square Park and the newly refurbished Astor Place plazas.

I would like to express tremendous gratitude to our community partners, our elected offi-cials and colleagues in government agencies for partnering in our efforts to improve life in Greenwich Village over the past quarter century. We hope to see you out on Astor Place and throughout the Central Village supporting our local businesses, attending events and in general enjoying the Village’s magnificent history and character. Visit us any time at 8 East 8th Street, we welcome feedback and ideas on how we can make the neighborhood a better place to live, work and visit.

Sincerely,

William Kelley Martin Dresner Executive Director President

District Population

44,593 / 50,343

Clean Team Members

4 / 8

Clean Team Hours

10,016 / 22,868

Tons of Trash Removed

621 / 1,094

Trash Receptacles

52 / 103

VILLAGE ALLIANCE BY THE NUMBERS ( 1993 / 2018 )

District Population

44,593 / 50,343

Median Income (in 2015 dollars)

$83,500 / $110,000 Median Age Group

25-39 / 20-34 Blocks Managed

25 / 44

Clean Team Members

4 / 8

Clean Team Hours

10,016 / 22,868

Blocks Managed

25 / 44

Storefront Businesses

317 / 435

Illegal Sidewalk Vendors

126 / 2Tons of Trash Removed

621 / 1,094

Planters/ Hanging Baskets

0 / 103Tree Pits

39 / 145

Street Furnishings Painted

387 / 6,885

Community Events Produced

2 / 16

Incidents of Graffiti

1,500 / 377

Public Safety Professionals

8 / 3Trash Receptacles

52 / 103

Info Guides Distributed

0 / 20,000

Village Access Card Participants

0 / 81

Digital Audience

600 / 35,000

Sanitation Scorecard

79% / 100%

Incidents Logged

3,228 / 2,860Patrol Hours

9,984 / 6,219

Improving public open space is central to the Village Alliance mission. Since the beginning, our goal

has been to create and maintain beautiful streets, sidewalks and public spaces, ensuring a pedestri-

an-friendly environment that is the hallmark of Greenwich Village. The Village Alliance prioritizes the

human-scale experience by advocating for major ventures like widening 8th Street sidewalks, to the

more recent Village Gateway project and Astor Place plaza reconstruction.

Our first major capital improvement project was completed in 2003, a $2M streetscape enhancement

of 8th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue. Wider sidewalks, dozens of new street trees and

decorative cast iron lamp poles with hanging baskets marked a turning point in the previous decline of

one of Greenwich Village’s most famous and oft-visited commercial corridors.

More recently, the Village Gateway project brought pedestrian safety enhancements to Sixth Avenue

and 8th Street corridors in 2016, doubling the size of Ruth Wittenberg Triangle and creating landscaped

pedestrian zones at major intersections. The improvements now allow neighbors to enjoy outdoor

seating, bicycle lanes and parking corrals, and safer traffic conditions due to lane striping and signal

timing changes.

The $16M Astor Place/Cooper Square renovation project was the district’s most ambitious capital

project to date opening to the public in 2017. The stunning urban design by WXY Studio reimagined

1993The Village Alliance District Manage-ment Association is incorporated; Mayor David Dinkins signs BID into law on September 30th covering 25 blocks with an annual assessment of $476,000

1994Supplemental sanitation and graffiti removal services begin in March

Public safety patrols begin in May, with an immediate crack-down on vending of stolen goods on St. Marks Place

A group of local property owners and merchants led by Norman Buchbinder came together in 1990 to address deteriorating street conditions along 8th Street. The group eventually formed the Village Alliance and sponsored the creation of the city’s 28th Business Improvement District in 1993.

OF IMPROVING PUBLIC SPACE

1995First outdoor “Rock & Roll Fashion Show” features youth- oriented fashion on 8th Street

First 8th Street retail market study conducted

1996Customized Information Kiosks are constructed for Ruth Wittenberg Triangle and Astor Place.

Retail façade master plan completed

Weekly free guided walking tours begin

1997First Back to School coupon book produced

Holiday lights, caroling and window design competition debut

1998First comprehensive Greenwich Village tourist website and business directory is developed

1999Astor Place subway triangle landscaped for the first time

Vornado renovates 770 Broadway; VNU leases 500,000 sf and adds over 1,000 employees to district

and replaced underutilized streets to create over a half-acre of landscaped public plazas in an area of

the city sorely lacking in gathering spaces.

Our newest public space initiatives involve the production of temporary public art installations in the

Central Village. In 2018 we presented the massive sculpture, The Last Three, by Australian artists

Gillie and Marc. The Astor Place installation was part of a global campaign entitled “Goodbye Rhinos”

aimed at drawing public attention to

the imminent extinction of the northern

white rhinoceros due to poaching.

On the western side of the district,

we worked with Czech artist Ondrej

Kobza to bring Poetry Jukebox to Ruth

Wittenberg Triangle. An interactive art piece, visitors may select and listen to any of 20 famous local

poets reading a sample of their work in their own voices. The Village Alliance will continue to feature

public art in locations throughout the district as a means to reflect the artistic heritage of Greenwich

Village, engage the public and enliven the neighborhood.

Since the beginning, our goal has been to

create and maintain beautiful streets,

sidewalks and public spaces, ensuring a

pedestrian-friendly environment that is

the hallmark of Greenwich Village.

OF IMPROVING PUBLIC SPACE

At the core of Village Alliance programming is the belief that a truly successful neighborhood contains

not only beautiful public open space, but also a diverse array of retail and cultural establishments.

Through the years we have promoted and advocated on behalf of the local independent business

community and supported local social service and cultural organizations with modest resources. Our

events and promotions have always sought to connect community with commerce and culture.

In the days before the digital revolution, the Village Alliance promoted our businesses through coupon

books and printed tour guides. We even hired trolleys to bring visitors downtown and experience a bit

of Greenwich Village bohemia. Today we still encourage the community to patronize local establish-

ments through digital promotions like Village Vitality and original content on our lively social media

channels, @GreenwichVillageNYC and @AstorPlaceNYC. The Village Access Card program, now in its

third year with over 80 participating merchants, offers exclusive benefits to neighborhood residents

and workers. Our small businesses need your patronage more than ever, visit www.greenwichvillage.

nyc/deals to sign up for your free card and explore the best shopping, dining and services the Village

has to offer.

In addition to our small business promotions, we also produce year-round events aimed at introducing

neighbors to our retail, restaurant and cultural partners. Events like the Positively 8th Street Festival,

Creativity Cubed, Networking Happy Hours, the Astor Alive! Performing Arts Series and our continued

support of Taste of the Village all provide community residents with opportunities to discover new

2000Community Board 2 votes to approve 8th Street urban design master plan

2001Construction on 8th Street sidewalk widening begins

20028th Street construc-tion complete, in all, tinted sidewalks with granite curbs, 34 street trees and 36 cast iron light poles with hanging flower baskets are added to the street-scape

2003First Taste of the Village produced to benefit Washington Square Park

2004Elegant steel trash receptacles replaced wire baskets throughout the district

19-25 St. Marks Place redeveloped, site of the original Electric Circus

2005Gwathmey Siegel’s “Sculpture for Living” building is developed by The Related Companies at Astor Place.

Greenwich Village Historic Walk of Fame created for self-guided walking tours

OF COMMUNITY, COMMERCE & CULTURE

experiences and enjoy the neighborhood, while providing

valuable patronage to Village merchants. In 2018, stay

tuned for a full slate of free events, along with the Made

on 8th Street series on the 8th of each month (Facebook/

Instagram: @Madeon8thStreet).

WELCOME NEW MERCHANTS

&pizza 740 Broadway

Astor Plate Astor Plaza South

Aunt Jake’s 47 West 8th St

Ben & Jerry’s 24 St. Marks Place

Blue Bottle Coffee 101 University Place

E.A.K. Ramen 469 Sixth Ave

GRK Fresh Greek 51 East 8th St

Il Laboratorio del Gelato 56 University Place

Juice Generation 4 Astor Place

Kubeh 464 Sixth Ave

LAC Early Childhood Center 2 5th Ave

La Contenta Oeste 78 West 11th St

La NewYorkina Astor Plaza North

Mango Mango 19 St. Marks Place

Ono Bowls 33 East 8th St

Sergimmo Salumeria 462 Sixth Ave

Shake Shack 51 Astor Place

Some Good Beer 9 East 8th St

South of the Clouds 16 West 8th St

Sweetgreen 101 University Place

Szechuan Mountain House 23 St. Marks Place

UBREAKIFIX 48 East 8th St

OF COMMUNITY, COMMERCE & CULTURE

2006ERA completed economic analysis to diversify and attract retail

2007BID expands northward along Sixth Avenue, University Place and Broadway, increasing to 44 blocks and a budget of nearly $1M

2008Greenwich Village Destination Guide developed to drive tourism dollars to local merchants; thousands distribut-ed to hotels citywide

2009First Annual Norman Buchbinder Award presented to NYU for careful restoration of 6-26 East 8th Street

Online marketing classes created for district retailers

2010Founding Executive Director Honi Klein retires; William Kelley hired from Union Square Partnership

2011Organizational policy changes and staff additions

Communication digitized, first social media channels created

2012Washington Square Park renovations open to the public

Website expansion and rebranding, optimized for mobile use

2013Positively 8th Street Festival debuts

First street condi-tions census performed

Minskoff Equities opens 51 Astor Place, IBM Watson inks lease 2014

Marlton Hotel opens

Crazy 8 Cartoon Festival produced

Astor Place recon-struction breaks ground

2015Sixth Avenue tree pits widened and refurbished

Village Gateway sidewalk master plan approved by LPC

10,000 subscrib-ers reached across digital platforms

Village Access Card launched

20168th Street/Ruth Wittenberg Triangle pedestrian enhance-ments built

University Place planters and tree pits installed

Mobile app created with 25 self-guided walking tours of Greenwich Village

Jim Power’s Mosaic Trail Poles preserved at Astor Place

Since the early 1990s when New York magazine declared, “The Village is Under Siege,” clean and

safe streets have been our top priority. For 25 years we have supervised an eight-person Clean Team

that sweeps the 44-block district seven days a week, rain, snow or shine. This past year we removed

nearly 2.2 million pounds of garbage from the Central Village, and scraped, cleaned or painted 7,262

incidents of graffiti. Our Clean Team also cleared away snow and standing water from public plazas,

bus stops and corner crosswalks and maintained the 144 individual chairs, tables, benches and infor-

mation carts at Astor Place and Ruth Wittenberg Triangle.

Over the years we have also focused our efforts on patrols to keep our streets and shops safe. As

crime statistics have dropped in local precincts over the past quarter century, we have shifted our

funding from paid detail (off-duty) police officers to daytime patrols by a private public safety vendor.

Our three public safety ambassadors walk the district seven days a week, and logged 2,860 incidents

OF CLEAN & GREEN STREETS

OF CLEAN & GREEN STREETS

2017$16M Astor Place/Cooper Square plazas open to the public

Village Vitality fitness & lifestyle promotion kicks off district-wide

20,000 subscribers across Greenwich Village NYC and Astor Place NYC channels

First full season of Astor Place programming: Poetry Jam, Astor Blaster Silent Disco, Creativity Cubed, Astor Alive! and the Cube/Alamo’s 50th Birthday Party.

2018Public Art Program instituted (The Last Three and Poetry Jukebox)

8th Street tree pits refurbished

Long-term mainte-nance plan imple-mented for streets-cape furnishings

Made on 8th Street lifestyle branding launched

Digital audience milestone of 35,000 reached

in FY 2018, engaging with the public and providing valuable

“eyes on the street” information for local police precincts.

Since implementing private safety patrols in 2013, major

incidents are down 43%.

Beautification initiatives round out our core services, putting

the “green’ in Greenwich Village. Our first horticultural

endeavors filled three dozen flower baskets along 8th Street

as part of our 2002 streetscape master plan. Since then,

we have added large planters at Ruth Wittenberg Triangle

and along Sixth Avenue, 8th Street and University Place, and

now care for lushly landscaped areas at Astor Place. Tree

pruning and tree pit maintenance have also been a staple of

our work, and in 2018 we renovated the tree pits along East

8th Street to make them more permeable to rain water and

promote better tree health. Our green efforts add beauty to

the everyday Village streetscape; we now maintain 145 tree

pits, 55 street planters and 48 hanging flower baskets along

with hundreds of shrubs, flowers and grass plantings at

Astor Place.

2018 NORMAN

BUCHBINDER AWARD

And now we’ve come full circle, from our beginnings under founding President Norman Buchbinder to the award given annually in his honor and memory. This year, the 2018 Norman Buchbinder Award is presented to Ancolie, a French-in-spired epicurean eatery at 58 West 8th Street that opened in 2016.

Ancolie is the brainchild of founder and chef Chloe Vichot, who wanted to create an elegant and inviting oasis offering home cooked meals and efficient service. Her unique concept, sourcing healthy ingredi-ents and placing them in a reusable glass jar, makes for a fresh, portable and guilt-free dining experience. Ancolie is one of the only 4-star Certified Green Restaurants in New York City.

It is not only Ancolie’s efficient and delicious fare that merits an award, but also Vichot’s dedication to her business and its place in the surrounding community. Her hard work on behalf of merchants and the branding of 8th Street are evident in her time and dedication spent brainstorming new ideas to promote the neighborhood as well as regular participation in community events. It is this pride in community with a focus on neighborhood revitaliza-tion that was the hallmark of Mr. Buchbinder, and for which Ancolie enthusiastically deserves the award this year.

Since implementing

private safety patrols in 2013,

major incidents are down 43%.

Revenue FY2018 Budget FY2018 Actual FY2019 Budget NOTES:

1. Revenue from Astor Place kiosk concessions (opened 4Q FY 2017)

2. Maintenance fee paid by third-party events at Astor Place

3. Program sponsorships from direct fundraising efforts (Astor Place)

4. The proportionate share of Sanitation and Public Safety expenses are accounted for under Astor Place Programs.

5. Includes Washington Square Park Fund disbursement: 50% in FY 2017 and 50% in FY 2018. Funds have accrued separately in the Park Fund.

6. Includes Sanitation, Public Safety, Horticul-ture, Capital Mainte-nance and Community Programs at Astor Place

7. Includes Equipment, Supplies, Permits, Insurance, Professional Fees and a portion of staff time.

BID Assessment $1,400,000 $1,400,000 $1,400,000Astor Place Concessions1 $75,000 $66,000 $75,000Astor Place Event Fees2 $50,000 $75,000 $75,000Astor Place Sponsorships3 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000Interest $2,000 $2,500 $2,000Grants/Other $5,000 $20,000 $5,000

TOTAL REVENUE $1,582,000 $1,613,500 $1,607,000

Expenses

Program ServicesSanitation & Graffiti Removal4 $435,000 $425,000 $472,500Public Safety4 $83,000 $81,000 $93,000Promotion, Marketing & Events $117,500 $111,500 $119,000Streetscape/Capital Maintenance $10,000 $30,000 $25,000Horticulture $45,000 $45,000 $45,000Community Programs5 $62,500 $67,500 $2,500Astor Place Programs6 $279,000 $240,000 $229,500

General AdministrativeRent & Utilities $57,412 $60,500 $62,170Office Administration $52,200 $56,763 $58,327Astor Place Administration7 $138,500 $136,494 $131,984Wages/Taxes/Benefits $361,345 $351,643 $372,228

TOTAL PROGRAM & ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURES $1,641,457 $1,605,400 $1,611,209

NET OPERATING COSTS ($59,457) $8,100 ($4,209)

PROJECTED CASH RESERVESAs of July 1, 2017 $634,612

$1,613,500 FY 2018 Revenues($1,605,400) FY 2018 Expenses

As of July 1, 2018 $642,712

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & STAFFClass A: Property OwnersMargaret Crowell CAPE ADVISORS, INC .

Greg Gushee THE RELATED COMPANIES

Will Morgan IDEAL GLASS

Kim Newman THE COOPER UNION

Arlene Peralta NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

Adam Pomerantz SIXTH AVENUE EQUITIES

Bruce Spiegel ROSE ASSOCIATES, INC

Jeffrey Sussman MINSKOFF EQUITIES

Donna Vogel GFP REAL ESTATE

Class B: Commercial TenantsJon Feldman STUMPTOWN COFFEE ROASTERS

Richard Geist UNCLE SAM’S ARMY NAVY

Ian Ginsberg C.O . B IGELOW

Class C: Residential TenantsCormac FlynnTony Hiss

Class D: Elected OfficialsHon. Bill de Blasio MAYOR, C ITY OF NEW YORK

Hon. Gale Brewer MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT

Hon. Scott Stringer COMPTROLLER, C ITY OF NEW YORK

Hon. Margaret Chin NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL

Class E: Public MembersJeff FerzocoMichael E. LevineMeghan Joye REPRESENTATIVE , CB #3, MANHATTAN

Village Alliance StaffWilliam Kelley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Terri Howell DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Daniella LaRocco DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT

Will Lewis DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & EVENTS

FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET

OFFICERS

Martin Dresner, President VORNADO REALTY TRUST

Douglas Gross, Esq., Vice President GOETZ FITZPATRICK LLP

William Abramson, Treasurer BUCHBINDER & WARREN, LLC

Shirley Secunda, Secretary REPRESENTATIVE CB#2 MANHATTAN

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERSAstor Place

Amy’s Kitchen

Ann Taylor LOFT

Astor Plate

Con Edison

The Cooper Union

Dyson

Facebook

GFP Real Estate

HBO

MailOnline

Minskoff Equities

New York Health & Racquet Club

New York University

New York Sports Club

New York University

NYC Department of Transportation

La Newyorkina

Pine Mountain

The Related Companies

Sabra

Senator Brad Hoylman

Smartwater

The Standard Hotel

Three Jewels Yoga

Vornado Realty Trust

Zagat’s

Zico Coconut Water

Positively 8th Street

305 Fitness

Analogue

Ancolie

Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor

Buchbinder & Warren, LLC

Greenwich Village/Chelsea Chamber of Commerce

Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

Il Bambino

Jefferson Market Library

Lomography

Neighborhood Preservation Center

New York Studio School

NYC Parks

NYCDOT Weekend Walks

Storm Ritter Studio

Textile Arts Center

Uncle Sam’s Army Navy

Washington Square Park Conservancy

West 8th Street Block Association

Performing Arts Partners

American Mime Theatre

Blue Man Group

Bowery Poetry

The Cooper Union

Grace Church School

Hetrick-Martin Institute

Joe’s Pub at The Public

La Mama E.T.C.

Ori Flomin Dance

Peridance Contemporary Dance

The Public Theater

St. John’s University

Public Art Partners

Buchbinder & Warren, LLC

City Lore

The Cooper Union

Councilmember Rosie Mendez

Czech Tourism Board

Fourth Arts Block

Gillie & Marc

Bob Holman

Manhattan Sideways

James and Karla Murray

Nat Geo Wild

NYC Parks

NYC Department of Transportation

Clayton Patterson

Oj Pejeta Conservancy

Jim Power

Processional Arts

Workshop

The Public Theater

Scribble Art Workshop

The Strangers Project

TD Bank

Promotional Partners

305 Fitness

Agata & Valentina

Amelie

Ancolie

Il Bambino

Barre 3

C. O. Bigelow

Blue Man Group

East Village Independent Merchant Association

Eva’s Kitchen & Supplements

Eve Salon

Flywheel Sports

Greenwich Village/Chelsea Chamber of Commerce

Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

Intelligent Nutrients

Karine Kazarian

The Library at the Public Theater

Loring Place

Nix

Ono Bowls

La Paniniera

The Public Theater

Salon V

See’s Candies

Textile Arts Center

Three Jewels

Tortaria

Uptown Pilates

The Villager

The Walker Hotel

Washington Square Park Conservancy

Wildlife Conservation Film Festival

Winter Indie Film Festival Awards

Service Vendors

Karin Bacon

Blenderbox

Bulfamante Landscaping

Ch’I Design

Citiesense

Coffee Cup Design Studio

Reva Cooper

Jane Cowan

Design Group Italia

Ian Douglas Photography

Electrical Illuminations by Arnold

Fulcrum

Grafilicious

Julie Brown Harwood Photography

Hello World Productions

Honig Conte Porrino Insurance

Intersection Media

Landscape Forms

Ariel Lembeck

Live XYZ

Loom Britannia

Charles Ludeke Photography

Jane Marx

Metro Rentals

Joanna Micek

MTWTF

One Dream Sound

Julie Powell

Preferred Security

Project for Public Spaces

Skody, Scot & Co.

SOS Security

Streetplus

Tuuci

Urban Arborists

Victor Stanley

Western Pest Services

WXY Studio

Village Alliance 8 East 8th Street New York, NY 10003 212.777.2173

About the cover

For 25 years the Village Alliance has supported its local businesses as an integral part of the community. These 25 portraits of 8th Street entrepreneurs by photographer Julie Brown Harwood exemplify the vibrancy and diversity of Greenwich Village’s retail and restaurant scene. From top left, moving left to right:

Row 1 – Lena, Sticky’s Finger Joint, Eva’s Supplements, Culture Yogurt Co., Shop Untitled Row 2 – See’s Candies, La Panineria, 305 Fitness, Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor, 8th Street Winecellar Row 3 – Village Alliance, Lomography, Salon V, Mind Boggler, New York Studio School Row 4 – Rasa, Ancolie, Some Good Wine, Uncle Sam’s, Analogue  Row 5 – Mount Sinai Doctors, Village Alliance, Storm Ritter Studio, Amelie, Il Bambino

Connect with us online:

Greenwich Village NYC –www.greenwichvillage.nyc

Astor Place NYC –www.astorplace.nyc

Photo credits: Ian Douglas, Julie Brown Harwood, Honi Klein, Will Lewis, Annie Schlechter, David Sigal Design: Fil Vocasek