Public Safety, Sanitation, Streetscape Improvements, Tourism & Promotion, Economic Development, and Strategic Planning: these are the backbone of the FCBID’s programming because they are the groundwork for the Fashion District’s future.

The FCBID has great plans for 2002 which, again, will be dependent upon the City’s approval of the FCBID assessment increase that our Board and membership have been requesting for the past three years. This would be the FCBID’s very first assessment increase since its inception nine years ago. As a result of the previous City Hall ban on all such increases for BIDs, the FCBID was forced to reduce staff and services by 25% in 1999–2000. Since then, we have also been prohibited from initiating many new projects.

Our stagnant funding was particularly regrettable during the recent economic boom of the late 1990s because it prohibited the FCBID and the Fashion District from fully realizing the opportunities presented by this period of unprecedented economic growth. However, as New York now faces a daunting physical and economic recovery, the role of public private partnerships will be more important than ever.

An assessment increase will allow the FCBID to restore the Public Safety and Sanitation staff that were cut two years ago. Once restored, staff in those departments will also be increased and operations will be expanded to meet the needs of our more diverse constituency.

We will also put our energies back into the Streetscape Improvement initiatives that are important to both the quality of life and to property values in the district. Most of our streetscape initiatives were put on hold two years ago because of budget cutbacks, but there are many important projects that we hope to begin, or begin again, in 2002–2003. This year we will: perform painting and other important maintenance on the Bishop’s Crook lightpoles, restore the colorful plantings in our lightpole flower baskets, initiate a façade cleaning incentive program, begin to install newsboxes to organize the distribution of free papers, and add more seating to the Summer Garden.

We will expand our promotional activities by refreshing our image and our message with new banners, updated pedestrian orientation information and new graphics on our Gateway Information Pylons. We will also explore the suggestion of a name modification for the FCBID organization that would more accurately reflect our broader constituency and the future of the district.

A detailed, objective study of the Special Garment District Zoning will be commissioned. It is anticipated that the study’s results will not only guide this organization in the formulation of policies and direction of services, but also be of use to City government in determining its policies affecting the district and the development of the West Side.

We are anxious to receive the assessment increase that would allow us to undertake these important projects, but that alone will not enable us to achieve our mission. The FCBID will continue to seek the active participation of our constituents, as well as the creative partnerships that allow us to bring additional resources and ideas into the area.

We will work with outside groups and agencies to bring business assistance information and programs to our tenants.

We will foster a dialogue among property owners, fashion tenants and the City to address the controversial issue of zoning and to determine a course for the future of the district.

We will continue to reach out to our building owners to encourage them to make investments in their properties by improving lighting, undertaking facade cleaning and renovations, and improving the quality of their retail tenants. Similarly, we will continue to ask ground floor tenants to improve storefront signage and window displays.

And finally, we will continue to work closely with the City agencies that are our partners in our mission to improve the Fashion District for all who live, work and do business here.

We believe that the future of New York City lies not only in the rebuilding of downtown but also in the continued growth and development of New York’s other dynamic neighborhoods. The future holds great promise if public and private interests come together to help each community reach its potential. We look forward to working with Mayor Bloomberg and with our property owners and tenants as we all strive for a better New York.