Chaptzem Blog!      

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) met with Councilman David Greenfield, Councilman Brad Lander and Community Board 12 District Manager Wolf Sender last week to explore the possibility of establishing a 13th Avenue Merchants Association.

The meeting was held in response to a small business survey conducted by Hikind in August which revealed that overall, local business owners were pessimistic about the future of their business. Among other issues, owners identified inadequate parking and overzealous enforcement by parking and sanitation agents as obstacles to the growth of their business.

“The purpose of a 13th Avenue Merchants Association is to revitalize businesses in our community and devise ways to attract consumers,” Hikind said. “Because 13th Avenue is one of the most heavily trafficked areas in our neighborhood, a merchants association could prove quite beneficial.”

Hikind noted that the Association would also act as a liaison with the City to collaborate on important initiatives.

Although the Association is still in its fledgling stage, one of the proposals currently under consideration is contracting with Project Sweep, a program which would clean the sidewalks outside of 13th Avenue businesses twice a day for a small fee. If participating merchants receive a sanitation ticket while enrolled in the program, the ticket will be paid for by Project Sweep.

Hikind and other community leaders are currently reaching out to local merchants to gauge their interest and willingness to actively participate. For more information, please contact Assemblyman Hikind’s office at 718.853.9616.