38 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • MARCH 14, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
queens business
Downtown Flushing BID gears up for fi rst business fair
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e Downtown Flushing Transit Hub
Business Improvement District (Flushing
BID) will be hosting its fi rst-ever Flushing
Business Fair on Th ursday, March 21.
Th e free event is opened to the public
and scheduled to take place from 11 a.m.
to 3 p.m. at the Sheraton LaGuardia Hotel
Ballroom, located at 135-20 39th Ave.,
with approximately 40 participating business
services.
Th e Flushing Business Fair is funded by
the New York City Department of Small
Business Services’ (SBS) Neighborhood 360
Grant Program, which was created by SBS
to identify, develop and launch commercial
revitalization projects in partnership with
local stakeholders.
“Strong neighborhoods are the backbone
of our city, and the $1.55 million in
investments to Flushing is going a long
way towards revitalizing key commercial
corridors,” said Gregg Bishop, commissioner
of the NYC Department of Small
Business Services. “By working with the
Flushing BID, we are responding to local
needs to support small business growth
and build more vibrant neighborhoods
for all New Yorkers.”
While known for its authentic Asian cuisine,
Downtown Flushing also features over
2,100 retail and service businesses. Local
businesses, including professional services,
like real estate, fi nancial services, law practices
and medical services, are the economic
engine pushing Downtown Flushing forward,
according to the BID.
Th e Flushing Business Fair will create
an effi cient and comprehensive platform
to showcase the diversity and integration
of the community.
Representatives from multiple city
agencies (Department of Buildings,
Department of Sanitation, Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene, NYPD 109th
Precinct, Queens Flushing Library, NYC
Business Solutions) will be available at the
event to discuss city regulations, such as
the most recent signage rules, face-to-face
with business owners.
Th e following business vendors are participating:
Hanover Bank, Flushing Bank; Royal
Business Bank; MassMutual; H&R Block;
Charles B. Wang Health Community
Center; Health Need Medical Urgent Care;
Eastern Eye Care; New York Four Seasons;
Acupuncture PC; Emblem Health; Affi nity
Health Plan; UnitedHealthcare; INF Health
Care; Rain Guo State Farm; Law Offi ce
of Patrick Archer PLLC; Altman & An
LLP; MEHOME Realty; Gerard Harrington
Design LLC; Coci Construction Inc.; Ashley
Dance Center; Lapeau; Kenvic Training
Inc.;World Chinese Publishing; Golden
Microphone Host- Speech Training Center;
UNAA Art; ASA College; Golden Eagle
Senior Center; Honing Adult Daycare
Services Inc.; New United NY Corp.; Nexus
Holidays Group Inc.; App Assist Inc. and
Wong Nutrition Health Club.
For more information of Flushing
Business Fair, visit Flushing BID’s website at
www.fl ushingbid.com, or follow “Flushing
BID” on Facebook and WeChat page.
New Whitestone merchants group makes ‘Taste’ their fi rst big event
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
The newly formed Whitestone
Merchants Association is working to preserve
and promote business within the
community.
More than 35 area merchants came
together on March 7 at the Holy Cross
Greek Church of Whitestone at 11-05
150th St. to network and meet the board
of directors, who distributed membership
forms and discussed their fi rst offi -
cial upcoming event in May: A Taste of
Whitestone.
Created by a group of six local merchants,
the Whitestone Merchants
Association’s goal is to plan events at
local businesses, bring people together,
see the community thrive, and be an
added voice to promote the area.
“We have a beautiful community and
great representation, but we’re lacking
a strong merchant group,” said George
Isaakidis, owner of Harpell Chemists.
In order to promote their local resources,
the nonprofi t organization plans to
listen to business owners’ concerns and
their needs to sustain and thrive within
the community, and garner support from
not only residents, but visitors as well.
“We want to bring business to
Whitestone,” said Nick Argonesi, of
Roman Realty & Associates, and owner
of CBD Superstore. “We want to bring
the customers here. Our businesses are
lacking, the diversity of businesses are
lacking. “We’re seeing a lot of rise in businesses
that aren’t desirable to people to
come in from the outside, but we want
to make it desirable for them to come in
from the outside.”
A Taste of Whitestone will be the fi rst of
many events such as the kids Halloween
Trunk or Treat, a July block party, and
a holiday tree lighting/Christmas pole
lights, the group announced.
“Our goal is to make it bigger and better,”
said Isaakidis.
Th e organization is encouraging and
inviting businesses within the community
to register for A Taste of Whitestone,
to give all of the eateries in the area an
opportunity to promote themselves.
“I’m sure many of us go through the
town, we bypass stores and have no idea
what the cuisine is, what they sell or who
they are,” said Isaakidis. “Th is, I think is
a great example of things that we want to
do within this community.”
Th e funds raised from the organization’s
membership fee ($100) and events
will go toward improving the quality of
life in the community such as beautifying
the neighborhood, updating Christmas
lights, and installing banners on street
lamps, according to Argonesi.
Additionally, the group has been collaborating
with local civics such as We
Love Whitestone to build a relationship
with residents and planning future
events.
After launching the Whitestone
Merchants Association Facebook page,
the members have received a phenomenal
number of responses within the past
two weeks from residents interested in
learning more information.
“Hopefully once we get this off track
now going forward with businesses
interested, we can come together more
and create more events,” said Albert
Teekasingh, owner of Tropical Revival.
A Taste of Whitestone will be held
Th ursday, May 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the
Holy Cross Greek Church located at 11-05
150th St. Limited spaces are available. To
register, email WhitestoneMerchants@
yahoo.com to hold a table (set-up begins
at 5:30 p.m.).
Th e Whitestone Merchants Association
next meeting will be held on Th ursday,
April 4 at 7 p.m.
Photo by Carlotta Mohamed/THE COURIER
The Whitestone Merchants Association (from l. to r.) Albert Teekasingh, Nick Aragonesi, Jessica
Kimmel, Blanca Rodriguez, George Isaakidis, and Nella Viola (missing).
Photo courtesy of Flushing BID
The Downtown Flushing Transit Hub Business Improvement District (Flushing BID) announced the fi rst-ever “Flushing Business Fair” to take place on
Thursday, March 21.
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