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Group aims to boost Marble Hill business
By Maya Rajamani
Posted 10/22/14
For years, merchants in Marble Hill have had concerns about the lighting in the area and a perceived lack of police presence. They have also hoped to see more beautification of the area.
With the formation of a Marble Hill Merchants Association, the Kingsbridge Riverdale Van Cortlandt Development Corporation (KRVC) is setting out to address these issues and boost business in the area.
“The goal is just to have the merchants get organized and for them to have more political power in terms of being able to get the things done that they need in the neighborhood,” said KRVC’s Jennifer Wynns, who is in charge of merchant outreach.
The group’s first meeting took place on Sept. 30. Forty-three merchants have expressed interest in forming an association; at that Tuesday meeting, about eleven merchants met with KRVC representatives at the Applebee’s on West 225th Street.
KRVC Executive Director Tracy Shelton said each business owner got a chance to discuss his or her visions for the Marble Hill business corridor.
“It went very well. There were a lot of merchants there, a lot of enthusiasm,” she said.
Along with discussing safety concerns in the area, the association expressed interest in a local resident discount program.
Ideas included offering 15 percent discounts or buy one, get one free deals, depending on individual merchants’ preferences.
KRVC has drafted merchant and shopper surveys to get a sense of retail needs in the area. It is also in the process of creating a Marble Hill business directory.
The corporation has worked with merchants in other parts of the Bronx, including north Riverdale, south Riverdale and Woodlawn.
But the association will be the first of its kind in Marble Hill, Ms. Wynns said.
As the group is in its early stages, she invited interested Marble Hill merchants who are not yet involved to attend the next meeting, set for Tuesday, Oct. 28.