By many accounts, Norwood’s commercial corridors represent a vibrant mix of mom and pop shops that largely comprise the makeup of the northwest Bronx neighborhood. And its commercial ranges are wide. There’s Hillside Meat Market, a staple in Norwood for more than 30 years, abutting La Mexicana Grocery, which caters to Norwood’s Hispanic population. But it doesn’t mean the corridor cannot do without add-ons or more stores.

The question of what’s Norwood’s next big idea stood as the key question posed to residents by Mosholu Preservation Corporation (MPC), the 38-year nonprofit support corporation of Montefiore Health System (and publisher of the Norwood News), which has spent the last year working towards answering that question. Their work is not over.

On April 16, the group completed the latest phase of a long-term project designed to determine the enduring needs of Norwood’s merchant corridors, specifically East 204th Street, Bainbridge and Webster avenues, known collectively as the Northwest Merchants Association.

It was the third such gathering organized by Daniela Beasley, MPC’s program manager, who’s been collecting data from the neighborhood. Residents offered feedback to MPC’s preliminary findings on the neighborhood’s commercial needs, which will ultimately be incorporated into a printed report known as a Commercial District Needs Assessment (CDNA).

Through a $200,000 Avenue NYC Grant from the New York City Small Business Service (SBS), MPC seeks to create a full picture of Norwood’s commercial needs, collecting data through a business inventory (there’s currently a 12 percent vacancy rate), interviews of merchants, surveys of its residents, and the current amenities beyond businesses. Over the years, SBS has drafted reports on other commercial areas, including the recently rezoned Jerome Avenue. Comments collected in the three workshops will fall under the “Key Findings and Opportunities” section.

Soliciting feedback from residents falls in line with the economic development philosophy of Jennifer Tausig, executive director of MPC, who sees consumer input as the quintessential selling point to producing community buy-in.

“I don’t go into a neighborhood and say, ‘Here’s what you need.’ But prefer to facilitate those conversations with people who have lived there or do live there to hear more on what they’re looking to do and to implement it,” said Tausig.

A portion of that grant, roughly $60,000 spread out over two years, will be earmarked for programming intended to spur greater interest in the corridors. Ideas will be hammered out based on insights shared and incorporated into the CDNA.

Local shopkeepers, along with consumers, noted they’d like to see the history and culture of the neighborhoods—which encompasses residential buildings as high as eight stories—preserved. There were also calls for beautifying the neighborhood. Tausig said MPC will also do its part through MPC’s matching funds program that would include store signage improvements for eligible merchants.

Tausig doubles as executive director to Norwood’s Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District, which drafted its own assessment (Community Needs Assessment, CNA) via an Avenue NYC Grant. The report was circulated to the brokerage community and entrepreneurs in hopes of attracting retailers.

Results aren’t always immediate, but Tausig sees the BID’s CNA as another way of raising the profile of the commercial corridors in a city largely dominated by the retail sector. “It’s hard to make the connection super-directly to say that our report has helped bring x-number of retailers, but our vacancy rate did decrease. It went from seven percent to four and a half percent during the year that we did all that work,” said Tausig.

“Bit More Variety”
With poster boards placed on easels around the cafeteria of PS/MS 20 on Webster Avenue near East Mosholu Parkway, residents and community stakeholders proposed adding more amenities to the strips, which included ideas ranging from cafés and workspace options to lowering the volume of music blasting from stores. Using sticky notes, ideas were jotted down and placed on poster boards.

Joana Oliveras, a lifelong Norwood resident who heard about the meeting through Instagram, wants to see a sneaker store and a YMCA in the neighborhood.

“I just want a little bit more variety. Right now—I’ve been living in this neighborhood a long time—I feel like there’s just delis, and discount stores. Those help, definitely, like for the weird, in-between, like, ‘Oh man, I need a tension rod and I don’t want to go all the way to Home Depot,” said Oliveras, shortly after offering her take to MPC

More Needs
A week after the workshop, residents not in attendance had different views of the future of the corridors. Near the FoodTown on East 204th Street, a resident who only went by Paul wanted to see another supermarket. He also has a Denny’s restaurant on his wish list.

Donnie Cianciotto, another resident, agrees. “Maybe a couple of sit-down restaurants would be alright. But as far as groceries and needs and things, everything is pretty much around. I don’t think I would change what’s here, no. Maybe just fix up the streets a little bit,” said Cianciotto.

Despite the presence of grocery stores and a supermarket, Tessa, a Norwood resident for the last eight years, wants an upgrade to the existing stock of grocery stores.

Caesar Talledo, another resident, wants something different—more security.

Unlike the other four who did not attend the workshop, Oliveras’ take will be likely included in the report published by SBS sometime this fall.

The CDNA report outlining those needs is intended for prospective merchants who will have a greater sense of what’s in high demand in the neighborhood. The final report—which will be presented to Community Board 7—is expected to be completed later this year.

“Once we have this nice Commercial District Needs Assessment, we’ll be able to go use that and to raise additional dollars, hopefully more flexible dollars, to be able to do some of the additional work,” said Tausig.

Additional reporting by Alondra Vasquez and Sha-Nia Alston.