(Tribeca, New York) Friends of Bogardus Plaza is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $100,000 Merchant Organizing Grant from the New York City Department of Small Business Services to strengthen and revitalize the Tribeca Alliance, in collaboration with The Tribeca Alliance and New York Law School’s (NYLS) Plumeri Center for Small Business Empowerment.
Tribeca remains one of New York City’s most desirable neighborhoods, yet it continues to struggle with retail vacancies, safety concerns, visible sanitation issues, and a lack of sustained post-pandemic investment. By uniting leading community organizations and institutional partners, this initiative marks a pivotal moment in reimagining the neighborhood’s economic future.
This critical investment will support the organizational development and strategic growth of the Tribeca Alliance, which will serve as the central merchant voice for one of New York City’s most iconic neighborhoods. Friends of Bogardus Plaza will serve as the fiscal conduit and lead contract organization, while NYLS, an anchor of Tribeca for more than 60 years, will provide legal and strategic support through the Plumeri Center’s faculty and students.
”At Friends of Bogardus Plaza, we’ve worked to transform the plaza into a welcoming destination where people gather, connect, and experience the best of Tribeca. We’re proud to now help lead this next chapter by advancing strategic work that will unite the neighborhood, amplify the voices of local merchants, and tell the Tribeca story with clarity and pride,” said Victoria Weil, President of the Friends of Bogardus Plaza.
“Tribeca has so much to offer with its rich history, creative entrepreneurs, makers, fashion, and vibrant local businesses. However, it has never had a truly coordinated voice. We are deeply grateful to the Department of Small Business Services, Friends of Bogardus Plaza, and NYLS’s Plumeri Center, whose past work, including NYLS’s Pandemic Recovery Task Force, has laid the groundwork for this next step. With this grant, the Tribeca Alliance will bring merchants together as never before, amplify our neighborhood story for the city and the world, and serve as a model for local economic development and strategic community partnership,” said Demetri Ganiaris, Chair of the Tribeca Alliance.
“Despite being a premier destination, Tribeca currently suffers from disjointed merchant support, high retail vacancies, and a lack of coordinated marketing and branding. This grant offers a path forward by building the structure, visibility, and partnerships necessary to position Tribeca as a vibrant commercial district worthy of economic investment and vibrant street life,” said Anthony W. Crowell, Dean and President of New York Law School.
“With deep roots in the community and a track record of strategic engagement, NYLS’s Plumeri Center brings the legal, policy, and organizational expertise needed to help strengthen the Tribeca Alliance and build a foundation for sustained economic growth,” said Associate Professor Jae Hyung Ryu, Director of the Plumeri Center.
The project builds on prior work spearheaded by NYLS’s Tribeca Pandemic Recovery Task Force, which was coordinated by NYLS Senior Fellow Christopher Bruno, and laid the groundwork for the original formation of the Tribeca Alliance. With this new funding, the Alliance will be able to formalize its operations, ensure compliance as a nonprofit organization, launch coordinated marketing campaigns, and work toward the early stages of forming a Business Improvement District (BID). NYLS will also lend support with economic development experience and strategic planning.
Key deliverables for this grant include:
- Guaranteeing legal incorporation and nonprofit compliance for the Tribeca Alliance and leveraging the power of NYLS students to modernize the organization;
- Launching coordinated marketing and branding efforts for the Tribeca business community;
- Supporting placemaking and business promotion activities with neighborhood non-profit partners;
- Engaging the merchant and residential community in program activation and long term planning
- Beginning feasibility work toward potential BID formation; and
- Leveraging additional support services through Borough of Manhattan Community College and NYLS’s Plumeri Center for Small Business Empowerment.
The first phase of the project will include website updates and direct outreach to Tribeca businesses to invite them into this revitalized organizing effort. Be sure to follow all partners on social media at @TribecaAlliance, @bogardusplaza, and @NYlawschool.