The office of Jumaane D. Williams, council member, 45th District will host the 45th District Business Corridor Forums on Tuesday, Oct. 16 and Monday, Oct. 22.
According to Williams, this is a new initiative that he is undertaking in the East Flatbush. He said the forums will provide local businesses an opportunity to meet with representative of city agencies, financial institutions, utility providers, business improvement district and networking organizations. The purpose of this meeting will be to afford these local proprietors an opportunity to improve their businesses by learning about and taking advantage of the opportunities being provided by the organizations listed.
Over the course of this past summer, a team of 22 interns from Columbia University, New York University, Pace University, Brooklyn College/CUNY and other institutions of higher learning was employed to survey and compile a list of current businesses on the five major business corridors in the 45th District- Flatbush Avenue, Nostrand Avenue, Utica Avenue, Church Avenue and Avenue D.
Williams explained that the impetus for these forums was driven by his personal assessment that many small businesses in his district wereoften faced with challenges in communicating effectively with city agencies with respect to code enforcement and payment schedules for outstanding fines. “Additionally, with the rapid growth of new businesses in the Flatbush Junction area, I wanted to provide long-time businesses an opportunity to meet with organizations that can assist them in keeping pace with the changing market in which they operate,” he said.
The 45th District Business Corridor Forum will be held on two nights:
• Tuesday, Oct. 16 at the Flatbush YMCA (located at 1401 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn between Foster and Farragut avenues) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Invitations for this forum will be issued to all businesses located on and nearby the Flatbush and Nostrand avenues business corridors.
• Monday, Oct. 22 at the TOP Civic Center (located at 1098 Utica Avenue, Brooklyn between Beverly and Clarendon Roads) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Invitations for this forum will be issued to all businesses within the district located on and nearby the Utica Avenue, Church Avenue and Avenue D business corridors.
The format of these forums will begin with a networking and refreshment period. The program will begin at 6:45 p.m. with a panel of organizational representatives presented to briefly discuss how they can assist local business owners and to take a few questions from the audience. The last hour of the forum will allow attendees to speak with representatives directly at vendor-style tables in the venue.
