LICBDC Networking After Hours at Shi Restaurant
Tues., January, 19, 6 - 8:30 PM

Catch up with old friends and meet new ones at Shi, a trendy Asian fusion place with a great river view.  Admission of $10 for LICBDC members and $15 for non-members comes with one drink ticket and hors d’ouevres. 4720 Center Blvd (between 47th Ave and 47th Rd), LIC. Read more at http://www.eatdrinkshi.com/.

Co-sponsors:

Absolute Capital Homes provides financial services to commercial building owners and homeowners falling behind on payments through negotiated mortgage restructuring.  http://www.absolutecapitalhomes.com/

Kensington Company directs prospective business owners toward franchise purchase opportunities.  As a business brokerage firm they provide comprehensive financial valuations and bring together business buyers and sellers.  http://www.kensingtoncompany.com/

Members Only LICBDC Open House
Thursday, January 28, 5 – 7 PM

Network with other LICBDC members and visit our new office in the MetLife Building.  RSVP required.  No charge to attend but you must be a current LICBDC member.  Contact Indra Smith at 718.786.5300 x 21 or ismith@licbdc.org.

Sponsor:

Werwaiss & Co., Inc. has launched a new website.  http://www.werwaissandco.com/  Werwaiss & Co., Inc., a fourth-generation family-owned business based in New York City, owns, develops and manages a multistate portfolio of commercial, industrial and retail properties.  The Western Queens portion of Werwaiss & Co., Inc.'s portfolio includes more than 75 commercial, industrial and retail properties.  

Coming in February
Watch for a Financing Seminar and a Queens Agency breakfast panel. 

LICBDC’s 2009 Annual Luncheon & B2B Expo a Big Success
In November, thousands of attendees met over 140 exhibitors at one of the premiere business networking events in Queens. See anyone you know in these photos? /licbdc_annual_luncheon_and_trade_show_2009.html

“Exhibiting there again this year has proven to me once more that it’s the best opportunity to market to the Queens and surrounding area,” said Allan Sabo, President, Third Age Solutions, Inc.  Nancy Verma of liQCity.com was pleased that her staff came back with “tons of leads and great contacts.”

“Wow!  That was fantastic!!!” said Arthur Rosenfeld, founder of BizWiz and OurLIC.com.  “There was more positive energy, and more business being conducted in a six hour period than I have seen in a long time.  The economic impact of your Exhibition and Luncheon must be enormous.” Rosenfeld was one of a number of attendees who made business deals on the spot at the show.  NY State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli presented a report about economic trends in LIC and Queens.  Click here for photos and detailed media coverage of the Expo, including DiNapoli’s presentation.

"An Economic Snapshot of Long Island City and Astoria, Queens"
http://www.ourlic.com/news/economicdevelopment/2009/economic_snapshot_lic_astoria_20091118_85x11_2pages.pdf

LICBDC Board and Staff Honored by Hispanic Chamber
At Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Queens’ 8^th annual Gala Awards in December, Drew Manger of Con Edison, an officer of LICBDC’s Board of Directors, was awarded its Corporate Partner Award.  Dan Miner, SVP of LICBDC, received the Chamber’s President’s Award.   http://www.hccq.org/

LIC Area News

NY1 Television News Profiles Development in Long Island City
/area_business_news.html

/area_business_news.html?Year=2010&AID=1002
(bonus points if you can capture still photo of Queens Plaza)
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

The City’s fourth-largest business district is a hotbed for mixed use development. In the last few years nearly 50 residential projects completed or under construction and more than a dozen hotels have been built. New office projects include the second Citibank Tower, which will house the Law School of the City University of New York. Construction of the first phase of Tishman Speyer's proposed 3.5-million-square-feet Gotham Center development is underway.  2,800 employees of the City’s Department of Health will relocate to their new 21-story, 660,000 square foot headquarters building. Construction is also underway at Queens Plaza. More than $75 million in city and federal money will yield a new park, new transportation bike lanes, and pedestrian walkways," said Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.

LICBDC Wins Online Competition for 2009 Best in Queens Business
How did a nonprofit business development group win the title of “Best Shopping, Services, and Business in Queens?”  As the awarding organization admits, it’s a little unusual – “but the LICBDC has a far-reaching network and a lot of goodwill on its side. Kudos!”

http://queens.about.com/od/queensalmanac/tp/best-of-queens-2009.htm?nl=1

Crain’s NY Business Profiles Queens sandwich maker

Elliot Freed, owner of Bimmys, a prepared food wholesaler and member of LICBDC’s Board of Directors, was featured in Crains.

http://mycrains.crainsnewyork.com/small_business_awards/profiles/2009/207

Apply for NYC Employee Training Grants

Businesses can receive up to $400,000 in matching funds to cover up to 70% of the costs of training. To get funding from NYC to train your employees call Deb Mesloh at (718) 786-5300 x 32. Start your application now for the round of funds to be awarded in spring 2010. 

NYC Community CleanUp is a city wide initiative to put low level offenders to meaningful community service work. Staff at the LIC-based Queens office are eager to serve LIC residents, businesses and civic group.  Call them to report areas in need of cleaning, or other civic projects, and CleanUp will send out a crew of supervised clients.  They will post before and after pictures on www.cleanupnyc.org.  Contact Manuel Larino at 917-679-9336 or mlarino@cleanupnyc.org. 

Cut Heat & Hot Water Bills with Solar Thermal Systems – with no initial investment

According to Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS-2003), more than half of energy consumed in commercial buildings is used for heating and hot water production, with food processing services using far above average compared to other commercial sectors.*   Such buildings can significantly reduce their energy bills by retrofitting a solar thermal system, which harnesses the sun's energy to produce useful heat. A typical commercial building consuming around 10,000 therms/year for hot water production can offset (40 - 50)% of their load with less than 3,000 ft2 of roof area using solar.

Low-rise buildings with minimal roof obstructions and clear southern exposure are ideal candidates for solar applications. In addition to adding value to the property, a solar thermal system also qualifies for various State & Federal tax incentives, and for accelerated depreciation, making the overall payback very attractive. Quixotic Systems can conduct site surveys and recommend solar solutions to businesses interested in cutting down their energy usage. They will also assist eligible businesses to secure financing to fund their solar thermal projects. Quixotic Systems is currently working with a German solar collector manufacturer who is willing to provide the first Solar Thermal Purchase Power Agreement (ST-PPA) for businesses with good credit standing. This PPA option would not require ANY initial investment from the client and

they can still enjoy the solar benefits by purchasing energy produced by solar at a discounted rate from the market price. With the energy prices escalating at over 10% every year and an energy crisis around the corner, solar technology is the right 'sustainable green' solution for the 70 food processing services and hundreds of other commercial buildings in the LIC area. To find out if this innovative partnership is right for you, contact danminer@licbdc.org.  Visit http://quixotic-systems.com.

Success story: Odegard’s parking problem fixed

Almost as soon as Odegard, a warehouse/distribution center of upscale carpets and furniture, moved into their new Long Island City facility in December of 2008, they discovered a problem. Although there were no standing signs across the street from their loading docks, that area was always blocked by NYC Department of Transportations cars.  As a result, large 18 wheelers could not swing around and back into the bays.  Odegard’s had been forced to off-load trucks while they were parked in the middle of the street.  Odegard’s senior management began thinking of breaking their lease.  They called LICBDC staff, who took the matter all the way up to Queens Department of Transportation Commissioner McCarthy.  She agreed to make sure that DOT cars would no longer part be parked on that street, and that the signs would be changed from ‘no standing’ to ‘no parking’ – a crucial distinction that bars parking cars from special permits.  Now content, owner Stephanie Odegard and CFO Michael Doris agree that LIC is a “great place to do business.”  www.odegardinc.com/  Do you have a parking problems? Contact danminer@licbdc.org.

Interns From the Fortune Society
The Fortune Society is a non-profit organization supporting those leaving the criminal justice system to successfully re-enter society through employment and a variety of social services: counseling, career development, education, housing services, HIV/AIDS-case management, substance abuse treatment, family services, and lifetime aftercare. To interview those who have completed Fortune’s job readiness programs, contact Joelle James, jjames@fortunesociety.org (212)691-7554, or visit www.fortunesociety.org.  The organization moved its headquarters to a 65,000 s.f. space in Long Island City in April of 2008, and is now able to offer all its services under one roof.

New LIC Businesses Planned and Opened: from www.liQcity.com

·         The former Getty autobody shop on 11th St between 47th Rd and 47th Ave is nearing its ‘adaptive re-use’ transformation into a bakery now known as The Breadbox.

·         A French café with a Korean twist is rumored to have leased the former Brasil Coffee House space on Vernon Blvd. 48-19 Vernon Blvd, LIC

·         A burger joint called The Burger Garage will be settling into the old Tomato and Wasabi location on Jackson Ave at 44th Drive, near Court Square. 25-36 Jackson Ave, LIC

·         The owners and operators of the Tennisport Restaurant are bringing a Cuban Grill & Steakhouse called Madeza to the space where Spa DiSilva was supposed to – but never – manifested. They’ve already begun work and have filed for a liquor license. 4729 Vernon Blvd, LIC

·         The “Doggy Day Spa” in the retail space at the bottom of Avalon Riverview North is still in the works but actually called Pooches Sport & Spa. The owners have been operating in the pet care business for 10 years and have been looking to be a part of LIC for some time. Pooches will be offering cageless boarding, dog walking for regular customers, pet transportation, doggie daycare, in-home cat care, grooming and veterinary care with their “affiliated experts,” 24-hour monitoring, as well as pick-up and return service at no extra charge. 4-75 48th Ave, LIC, 917.642.4217

·         The former 4705 Center Blvd/East Coast 6 leasing office is now empty; a hair salon is said to be coming soon to the space.

·         A preschool is opening in the ground floor of an old engineering building on 47th Ave., just east of 5th St. Lolly’s Early Learning Center will be having their grand opening in January 2010. Email them at lollyslearningcenter@yahoo.com to schedule a private tour or receive updates regarding their December open house events. 5-44 47th Ave, LIC, 646.351.6077

·         Guitart & Jones’ Open Door Restaurant serving American tapas will be opening this winter at 5-09 50th Ave, between Vernon Blvd & Jackson Ave.

·         A new, fancy Italian furniture store is still under construction in the ground floor retail space at 10-50 Jackson Ave.

·         Natural Frontier Market is opening a new location in LIC to add to its stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The health food market is confirmed for the 4000SF ground floor of 12-01 Jackson Ave, @ 11th Street.

·         An antique shop seems to be coming to a ground floor space in the new silver development on 51st Ave between Vernon Blvd and 5th St – there is a collection of large statues but currently nothing else.

·         CBRE’s new retail space at the bottom of East Coast 6 (aka 4705 Center Blvd) is now open, but they are not brokering residential sales.

·         El Ay Si, the American bistro serving ‘comfort food’ at 47-38 Vernon Blvd, opened in December. 718.389.8781

·         A new children’s boutique & consignment store called Little Closets is now open in the former Art-O-Mat space at 46-46 Vernon Blvd. The store offers “a sustainable, ‘recession friendly’, community-oriented retail option for the rapidly growing population of small children in the area,” including “child-friendly décor” with a story corner & puppet theater. They are currently accepting donations; email littleclosets@yahoo.com for more info. You can also check their blog, which is often updated with new products and events.

·         The high-flying academy of New York Circus Arts, one of the leading American Contemporary Circus organizations, has moved its space from Manhattan to 5321 Vernon Blvd in LIC. 646.291.6364

·         A seemingly temporary boutique outlet with a current coat sale has opened in the Window Gallery space on Jackson Ave, apparently part of an “ArtStands for Business” effort. 13-03a Jackson Ave, LIC

·         TF Cornerstone now has an office at 4720 Center Blvd. 718.606.9440

Unsubstantiated Biz News

·         A new café is coming to the space next to Da Gianni’s Ristorante on 44th Drive just west of 23rd Street.

·         Duane Reade is possibly setting up another shop in 2 Court Square, the new Citibank building

·         A new restaurant is headed for the new 10-17 Jackson Avenue development next door to Café Henri, and has also filed for a liquor license.

LIC Business Improvement District: BID Bits

BID Budget Cap Increase – At the LIC BID’s Annual Meeting on June 22, the BID membership voted unanimously to increase our annual budget cap to $450,000, to allow for a full assessment of Tishman Speyer’s Gotham Center project and for flexibility with future cost increases or service demands. There was a City Council hearing on all BID budget cap increases on December 21 and the cap was approved.  This increase only applies to the budget cap, not the BID’s actual annual budget.

Graffiti - If you have any graffiti on your buildings, or would like graffiti removed from any adjacent property, please let us know. Either the property owner or a tenant in the building may sign the waiver allowing the City to remove the graffiti at no cost.

Loitering on Queens Plaza – Complaints from property owner Andover Realty about men loitering in front of the Clocktower Building on Queens Plaza North, and trespassing into the building, have been resolved. The men were participating in a Department of Corrections community service program as an alternative to incarceration. Working with the BID and DSBS, the pick-up and drop-off location for that program has been moved out of Long Island City into Brooklyn.

Marketing & Rebranding – In October, the joint BID and LICBDC marketing committee approved a Request for Proposals (RFP) for marketing/rebranding firms to help us choose a new name and logo for both organizations, and jumpstart our marketing of Long Island City. Once a consultant has been selected, the BID will be able to tap into the $50,000 in matching funds that the City has promised the BID and BDC for the marketing of Long Island City. Since October, we have been waiting for the NYCEDC to approve the RFP and sign a funding agreement with us, so that the RFP can be released to the various consulting firms.

The BID, in concert with LICBDC, applied for a separate $55,000 in-kind grant from the Taproot Foundation, which would help us identify our key messages and brand strategy – the first phase of an effective marketing campaign.

NYC & Company – The BID, along with three local hoteliers and the chair of the Long Island City Cultural Alliance, made a presentation about LIC on November 16^th to the CEO and senior staff of NYC & Company, the City’s official tourism and convention services bureau. We highlighted our exciting dining scene, cultural and nightlife offerings, real estate developments, and growing list of area hotels. The audience was excited to learn about what LIC has to offer visitors. All three hotels said that the majority of their overnight visitors are from abroad. Also, the Holiday Inn Manhattan View, with 136 rooms, has told the BID that they have been completely sold-out thus far in December.

As a result of the meeting, NYC & Co. has placed copies of the Time Out New York Long Island City neighborhood guide, produced with the BID in 2007, in their visitor’s center at 810 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. We are also in the midst of discussions with Big Apple Greeters to determine how to attract more visitors to LIC.

Jackson Avenue – Work along Jackson Avenue has concluded for the winter season. Most of the medians have been installed along the roadway, sidewalks have been replaced, and the three new pocket parks have been landscaped. Because of separate underground MTA work between 44^th Drive and 43^rd Avenue, median construction and sidewalk replacement in that area are on hold. Also, due to the ongoing construction of the connection between the 7 and G trains at 45th Road, the median there will not be installed until next year.

The local project manager has told us that landscaping within the medians will begin again in March, during the spring planting season.

Queens Plaza – NYCEDC has told the BID that work on Queens Plaza will kick into high gear after the annual holiday construction embargo expires on January 3. We are still awaiting specific details about the construction timetable, and will e-mail the BID and BDC membership once we learn what will happen there. We have asked the NYCEDC to assist us in securing more timely information so that we can update BID members as to the status of block-by-block street reconstruction.

Regarding sponsorship, there have not been further negotiations with the City since our last in-person meeting in July. We have offered 20% of our annual budget to the City, which amounts to $90,000 per year once our annual budget is $450k. They have asked us to pursue an additional $35,000 annually, through sponsorship of the landscaped roadway medians and park benches. In the past three months, Gayle and I have reached out to over 100 national and local businesses, but none has committed to any sponsorship as of yet.

2010 Goals – We are now formalizing our list of BID goals for 2010, which will include increased outreach to residents, additional marketing of the area, new banners, a new website, and enhanced business and tourism attraction efforts in Long Island City. We will present our goals for your approval in our next Board meeting, which we’d like to schedule for sometime in late January. If you have any suggestions for 2010 goals or would like us to do anything differently in the new year, please let us know.