Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID Wins $100,000 Grant From City

The Flatbush Nostrand Junction Business Improvement District has just won $100,000 from the City through its Neighborhood Challenge grants program.

The Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID will use the funds to develop a “place-based identity strategy” highlighting the area’s small businesses, drawing more foot traffic up Flatbush Avenue, and engaging local residents and students in order to grow the area’s customer base.

The Bid will be working with 3X3 Design as they develop their area plan.

The three-way intersection known as “the Junction” is an urban mall with a multitude of convenience and other retail shops. The Junction is the “gateway” to the southern half of Brooklyn; and the primary local shopping area for thousands of residents of surrounding private homes and apartment buildings, says the BID.

The area also serves Brooklyn College students, faculty and staff, notes the BID.

The Junction is an important transit hub as well — offering access to two subway lines, seven bus lines and several private “dollar” vans.

“[We want to] connect… the Junction’s diverse social, cultural, and economic assets to cultivate a sense of local identity and pride,” said Kenneth Mbonu, the BID’s Executive Director. The goal is to “bridge the communication divide between businesses and community.”

Neighborhood Challenge is a competitive grant program designed to encourage innovation and service delivery from Business Improvement Districts and community-based organizations. It is administered by the City’s Department of Small Business Services and the Economic Development Corporation.

The grant program seeks to support small businesses, generate economic activity, and attract more jobs and investment to local commercial corridors throughout New York. Five other neighborhood-based organizations received grants from the City this year.