Morris Park Business Improvement District
Looking Back at 2019 and Outlook for 2020
The Morris Park Business Improvement District (MPBID), the 76th BID in NYC and the 10th in the Bronx, completed its very first full
year of operations. The MPBID mission is to enhance Morris Park Avenue by providing supplementary sanitation, beautification,
safety and district marketing services, to support a thriving and vibrant Morris Park Avenue commercial corridor. These services are
supplementing, not replacing the services provided by the City of New York. All BID services are provided at no cost for businesses or community
members. BID services are funded through an assessment levied by the City of New York on commercial property owners in the BID district. The BID
is a non-political organization working with all elected representatives and City agencies to support merchants in liaising with City agencies, to
advocate for improved infrastructure, for a diversified mix of businesses, and for a safe and clean Morris Park Avenue commercial corridor.
In 2019 our biggest achievements were starting the BID work as an independent organization and opening an office at 966 Morris Park Avenue in
April, staffed by Executive Director Dr. Camelia Tepelus, and introducing the BID to the community through outreach events including: Mother’s Day
Celebration (May 10); co-sponsoring the Yemeni American Day Parade (June 8); organizing the first Morris Park Graduation Celebration (June 25) in a
“Pop-Up Plaza” on Radcliff Avenue; the Morris Park Live Jazz performance at Burger Time (August 15); supporting all elected representatives’
summer events in Loreto Park and providing back-to school supplies (August 8 and 25); participating and co-sponsoring the Columbus Day Parade
including bringing a two-horse wagon and free ponies rides for community children, organizing a Small Business Saturday/Albanian Flag day
celebration (November 30); two daffodil planting events in collaboration with PS23 and CB11 (October 29 and November 9).
We ended 2019 welcoming over 400 community residents to enjoyed the first ever Morris Park Joyful Holiday Trolley on December 22nd, with Santa,
the Grinch, treats and a lot of optimism for the new year! Institutionally, 2019 was also the year of the MPBID formally coming into existence,
obtaining our 501c3 non-profit status from the IRS, and having our by-laws voted by our members at the 1st MPBID Annual Meeting held on October
25 at Maestro’s. We were honored to have our work positively covered by News12 TheBronx in four different occasions, and highlighted in the NYC
Small Business Services FY’19 Business Improvement Trends Report. We could not have done all these without your support! Thank you!
For 2020 we anticipate starting a corridor beautification program, a pet-owner sanitation awareness campaign, continuing our street cleaning and
graffiti removal programs, and more free community events, starting with “Love Your Neighborhood” on February 14, when together with the NYC
Department of Sanitation we will host a free reusable bag distribution event, providing more information on the Plastic Bags Ban and Paper Bag Fee.
We are honored to be the only Bronx organization selected to host between June 2020 and March 2021 a NYC Small Business
Services Neiborhood360° fellow, a paid, full-benefits, unique leadership training opportunity that open to only 10 fellows every year
City-wide. For all interested in joining MPBID for this program, please see nyc.gov/360fellows and apply before March 8, 2020.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, JANUARY 3 BTR 1-FEBRUARY 6, 2020 33
We thank all community members, businesses, property owners, elected representatives and City agencies supporting our work,
and look forward to working together for a healthy and prosperous 2020 on Morris Park Avenue and in The Bronx.
Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @mpbid and at www.morrisparkbid.org.
/www.morrisparkbid.org
/360fellows
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