34 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • MARCH 3, 2022 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
New Sunnyside Shines director pledges
to put commercial district ‘on steroids’
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A transplanted southern gentleman
who moved to Astoria
nearly three decades ago has hit
the ground running since taking
over the Sunnyside Business
Improvement District (BID) last
month.
Sunnyside Shines Executive
Director Dirk McCall has been
getting to know the merchants
and restaurant owners along the
commercial corridor on Queens
Boulevard and Greenpoint
Avenue that stretches from 38th
Street to 50th Street.
“I’ve lived in Astoria since 1993
and I usually make the 20-minute
walk, which is really helpful
because I meet people along
the way,” McCall said. “I love this
beautiful neighborhood. I just
think Sunnyside is amazing and
I’m looking forward to providing
assistance to all of the business
owners in the BID.”
McCall took over Sunnyside
Shines aft er Jaime-Faye Bean
stepped down in December to
take an executive position with
the James Beard Foundation, a
New York City-based nonprofit
New Sunnyside Shines Executive Director Dirk McCall stands outside his offi ce on 43rd Street.
that promotes restaurants and
food culture.
During her fi ve-year tenure
in Sunnyside, Bean helped raise
funds for restaurant workers who
lost their jobs in two separate
fi res that tore through the heart
of the BID. She also was cofounder
of Queens Together providing
support for small businesses
while providing meals
to Queens families facing food
insecurity.
“Jaime did a spectacular job
and I aspire to be as good as she
was,” McCall said. “Right now I’m
getting to know everyone, working
on our grant applications to
renew our funding and reactivating
all of our accounts because
there was a month between EDs.
Th ere are a lot of moving parts
that I have to stay on top of.”
McCall came to his new position
aft er more than 26 years in
community organizing, government
relations, union and labor
aff airs. He served in the Bronx
borough president’s offi ce and
most recently at the Queens district
attorney’s offi ce where he
was director of civic awareness,
planning public events such as
Black History Month, Diwali and
Photos courtesy of Sunnyside Shines
Lunar New Year. He also organized
gun buyback events.
“I had a wonderful experience
at the DA’s offi ce doing
important events. Th e gun buyback
programs were successful
but they need to do more to get
guns off the streets,” McCall said.
“Now I’m more on the street
getting back to the work I love.
I worked with Small Business
Services with multiple jobs so I
know how BIDs work, and I ran
the Greenwich Village/Chelsea
Chamber of Commerce so I’ve
done plenty of business support
work before. ”
He is currently planning his
fi rst major event, Sunnyside
Restaurant Week from April
15 to 24 to be followed by the
Sunnyside Spa and Salon Fest,
and McCall is already looking
forward to the Taste of
Sunnyside, the annual signature
event that celebrates the restaurant
scene.
“I’m a big foodie,” McCall said.
“We’re going to promote our
businesses and bring people in
from outside the community that
will help our businesses thrive
and put the commercial corridor
on steroids.”
“We’re going
to promote our
businesses and
bring people in
from outside
the community
that will help
our businesses
thrive and put
the commercial
corridor on
steroids.”
McCall recently lunched
at Mangal Kebab on Queens
Boulevard with Queens Tourism
Council Director Rob MacKay,
who has raised his family in the
neighborhood since 1991, said
McCall’s appointment checks
many boxes for many businesses
that were impacted during the
pandemic.
“While it appears that some
form of COVID will be with us
from now on, it’s not as lethal
anymore, and I think the city
will open up completely soon.
Th is should be great for small
business owners, but it’s still
an uphill climb,” MacKay said.
“Some shoppers are in the habit
of using the internet for everything.
Others are still scared to
go into stores. And then there are
the problems of fi nding employees
and dealing with city regulations
and taxes. Lucky for Dirk,
Sunnyside has some great restaurants
and stores with hard-working,
entrepreneurial owners. So
the quality is there. Some good
promotions and fun community
events will help. Safety and
cleanliness are important, too. In
some ways, it’s a daunting task,
but Dirk also has the opportunity
to do some great things. He’s very
experienced and talented, so I’m
excited for him and Sunnyside.”
As he is out in the community,
McCall has an edge in connecting
with people in the diverse
neighborhood.
“I am married and my husband
is Colombian,” McCall said
with a laugh. “I’m not fl uent but
I can converse well and that’s
important with many of these
New Sunnyside Shines Executive Director Dirk McCall merchants.”
— Dirk McCall
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