Photo by Síle Moloney
As reported by Norwood News, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Emergency Executive Order 157, which created the Open Storefronts program on October 28, 2020. Open Storefronts is a free program that allows existing ground-floor storefront businesses to use a portion of the sidewalk and roadways to display merchandise, sell goods and complete transactions, and provide areas for customers to line up from October 30 to December 31, 2020.
On Tuesday, Dec. 29, the City announced that the Open Storefronts program would be extended through Sept. 30, 2021. Businesses may also use the curbside lane to conduct business activities during the hours that Open Streets: Restaurants is in effect.
This program is available to all ground-floor storefront businesses further to the completion of a short online form in which business owners acknowledge their understanding of the program’s criteria and restrictions. Visit nyc.gov/openstorefronts for full details and to sign up for the program, or call the hotline at (888) SBS-4NYC with any questions.
On Nov. 12, the City issued guidance to clarify the situation regarding the program for existing Stoop Line Stand licensees. Stoop Line Stand licensee businesses can continue to operate under existing regulations, without participating in the Open Storefronts program. However, there are added benefits for those businesses which self-certify and join the Open Storefronts program.
With the Open Storefronts program, those businesses will be able to:
- use five (5) feet in front of a store, even if the stoop line stand only extends four (4) feet, as long as there is an eight-foot (8’) clear path for pedestrians
- display and sell products outside, other than the ones allowed with a Stoop Line Stand license; and
- take payments outside.
Image courtesy of the New York City Department of Transportation.
For businesses which participate in Open Storefronts, there are no changes to the height restrictions of the program and businesses can continue to display goods up to seven feet in height. Participating businesses are not required to bring in the stoop line stand(s) at the close of business.
Businesses are not required to participate in Open Storefronts, but they can only take advantage of these benefits, if they participate in the program. For more details, and to sign up for Open Storefronts, businesses should visit the Department of Transportation at nyc.gov/OpenStorefronts.
The New York City Department of Small Business Services, and the Counsel to the Mayor will be hosting a panel discussion for anyone who would like to learn more about the roles of each of these City departments, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This panel will take place virtually on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at 2 p.m. Register here.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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