New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Acting Commissioner Dynishal Gross announced that the city is awarding $4.4 million in grants to 25 organizations to support projects designed to revitalize commercial corridors and enliven the public realm, including neighborhood food tours, street fairs, public murals, and marketing for local small businesses. Multi-year grants will be disbursed to community-based organizations (CBDOs) and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) across the five boroughs. The new round of grants builds on the administration’s historic investment of more than $27 million in neighborhood development since 2022.
The new grants reflect the Adams administration’s commitment to community-centered neighborhood development and public realm improvements, and follow recommendations laid out in the “New” New York Action Plan by putting money directly into the hands of the residents, community leaders, and business owners who know the unique needs of their streets and commercial corridors. The additional $4.4 million in grants bolster the historic investments in neighborhoods made by the administration since 2022, which have promoted public safety, livability, and NYC’s economic recovery following the pandemic, culminating in double-digit drops in crime and a record-number of private sector jobs in New York City history.
Additionally, these awards include the city’s first-ever Public Realm Grants, designed to enhance public spaces through improved lighting, creative signage for improved navigation in commercial corridors, and public art installations across all five boroughs.
