DOWNTOWN FLUSHING QUEENS Commercial District Needs Assessment in partnership Downtown Flushing Transit Hub BID with Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce ABOUT DOWNTOWN FLUSHING Background Downtown Flushing is a one-of-a-kind destination where residents and visitors alike can experience an international blend of cultures, cuisines, and shops within a bustling central business district. Situated off the Flushing Creek in northeast Queens, Downtown Flushing’s location gives it several competitive advantages that have fueled its rapid The Neighborhood 360° growth as a commercial hub. The district is served by the Downtown Flushing Transit program was created by the NYC Hub Business Improvement District (BID) and is made accessible by several modes of Department of Small Business transportation including the 7 subway line, the Long Island Rail Road, NYC Select Bus Services to identify, develop, and launch commercial revitalization Service, and the Whitestone, Van Wyck, and Long Island Expressways. projects in partnership with local stakeholders. Through Once a rural Dutch farming settlement, modern day Downtown Flushing is an active, 24/7 proactive planning and targeted district. The neighborhood consists of a mix of mid-rise and new high-rise buildings that investments, Neighborhood 360° supports projects that strengthen house a rich variety of Asian restaurants, professional services, offices, apartments, and and revitalize the streets, small light industrial uses. The volume of pedestrians, vehicles, and businesses contributes to businesses, and community- a crowded network of streets and sidewalks that are trademark characteristics of the based organizations that anchor New York City neighborhoods. neighborhood. The Neighborhood 360° Commercial District Needs On any given trip to Downtown Flushing, visitors can conveniently shop, dine, and access Assessment (CDNA) highlights professional services from unique businesses and entrepreneurs from around the world. a neighborhood’s existing Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue form the district’s commercial crossroads, with a dense business landscape and and eclectic mix of Chinese small businesses, national retailers, and financial institutions. consumer characteristics. This CDNA features Main Street, Closer to Flushing Creek, College Point Boulevard is characterized by home furnishing Roosevelt Avenue, Northern wholesalers and warehouses despite the recent introduction of new mixed-use shopping Boulevard, Union Street, 39th centers. Union Street is ever-evolving and has traditionally been identified as a center of Avenue, and College Point Boulevard commercial corridors the Korean American community in Queens which has extended eastward over time along in Downtown Flushing, and was Northern Boulevard. These streets are also home to many of the neighborhood’s historical, conducted in partnership with the entertainment, and cultural venues like the Quaker Meeting House, the Flushing Armory, Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Flushing Town Hall, and the former RKO Keith’s Theater. Flushing Transit Hub Business Improvement District between January and June 2016. Neighborhood Demographics See more on page 13 Key issues and opportunities identified through this assessment will help prioritize SBS-supported local Greater Flushing is a densely inhabited neighborhood with a diverse and growing investments, and serve as an population of more than 68,000 residents that reflects its cosmopolitan mix of merchants, informational and marketing businesses, and cultural attractions. While historically home to a wide array of immigrant resource for the neighborhood. communities, the neighborhood is currently comprised of 67% Asian residents. The Chinese and Korean communities represent approximately 70% and 12% of the Asian population respectively. Flushing remains a popular destination for many Asian immigrant families, making the neighborhood’s foreign population (71%) one of the highest in In This Report New York City. Existing conditions, business data, and qualitative depictions of the neighborhood were gathered See more on page 5 from more than 315 surveys Future Opportunities and numerous interviews and workshops with neighborhood With the outside of Manhattan, Downtown Flushing is already a merchants, shoppers, workers,4–5 heaviest foot traffic community leaders, property 6 regional destination with 20+ public transportation options, and multicultural dining owners, and residents. 7–10 and services. Its proximity to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Jump to... 11 Citi Field, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and both LaGuardia and JFK International 12 Airports make Downtown Flushing a renowned center of entertainment and commerce. Key Findings 4-5 13 Business Inventory 6 Signs of ongoing development and the subsequent congestion and competition 14 What Merchants Say 7-8 associated with rapid growth are visible across the district. Dedicated support of the Business Outlook 9 needs of Downtown Flushing’s burgeoning small business community can help harness What Shoppers Say 10 this momentum and improve the overall quality of life of the neighborhood. Physical Environment 11 Data Appendix 12-15 2 Neighborhood 360° Commercial District Needs Assessment NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT Downtown Flushing 10 minutes by car to LaGuardia International Airport Notable Places FARRINGTON ST 146 ST Leavitts 1 Park PARSONS BLVD 35 AV Flushing Creek Flushing Public Library WHITESTONE EXPY PRINCE ST PRINCE 2 Flushing Town Hall UNION ST 2 LVD NORTHERN B 38 AV MAIN ST 37 AV 5 Macedonia AME Church 34 AV St. George’s Flushing Town Hall Y P 6 X Episcopal Church BOWNE ST E COLLEGE POINT BLVD ROOSEVELT AV K C 39 AV 4 New World Mall BARCLAY AV 3 Y W N A SANFORD AV V 7 1 Flushing Public Library The Shops 3 41 AV Workforce1 Career Center at SkyView ad The Shops at SkyView Center Center o 41 RD l R ai R nd KISSENA BLVD la Is 4 ng Lo FRANKLIN AV 45 AV 5 minutes by subway to Citi Field, USTA National Tennis Center, 0 0.125 0.25 Miles & Flushing Meadows Corona Park New World Mall Points of Interest Merchant & Business Groups 5 Assessed Commercial Corridors Shopping Centers Asian Americans for Equality Public Facilities Arts & Cultural Destinations (AAFE) Business Improvement District (BID) Downtown Flushing Transit Hub Business Improvement Macedonia AME Church Neighborhood Events District (BID) Flushing Chinese Business 6 Association Flushing Willets Point Corona Local Development Corporation Greater Flushing Flushing Lunar New Year Parade Flushing Night Out St. George’s Church Chamber of Commerce Renaissance Economic Development Corporation Union Street Business Association Holiday Lighting Ceremony 40th Road Street Festival Downtown Flushing 3 KEY FINDINGS & OPPORTUNITIES Strengths Accessible transportation hub that attracts visitors from all Dedicated community-based organizations delivering over NYC, the region, and the world high quality maintenance, marketing, events, and business support district-wide High concentration of national commercial banks and other financial institutions Active upper floor uses with a wealth of healthcare and professional services that complement local shops and Cluster of arts and cultural institutions that are active in restaurants the community Nearly 100% commercial storefront occupancy rate Premier destination for authentic Asian cuisines and goods Safe, 24/7 central business district with high foot traffic Rich history of multicultural diversity and religious tolerance throughout the day and night tracing back to the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657 Challenges Overextended infrastructure needs upgrades to better Limited affordable commercial spaces due to high support the growing central business district occupancy rates High volume of street garbage and litter requires Small businesses face competition from national retail additional maintenance chains Perception of limited affordable parking options High levels of pedestrian and vehicular traffic congestion coupled with limited open space amplify quality of life Merchants experience language and cultural barriers to concerns (air quality, noise pollution) accessing business support programs and navigating government regulations Main Street & Roosevelt Avenue College Point Boulevard Union Street 39th Avenue Storefronts 4 Neighborhood 360° Commercial District Needs Assessment Workforce1 Career Center at the Flushing Public Library Flushing Freedom Mile Signage on Northern Boulevard Mural at the Flushing LIRR Station Flushing Street Festival / Block Party Opportunities Reactivate the kiosk in front of the Flushing Public Support business growth and consumer safety by Library to provide enhanced district wayfinding and connecting local businesses and entrepreneurs to visitor services available services that are accessible in different languages and entry points Establish a formal Flushing tourism program that leverages the district’s entertainment venues, hotels, Build upon local marketing campaigns and events that restaurants, transit, and other key assets promote the unique merchants and vibrant character of the district Invest in additional sanitation and streetscape beautification services to actively address illegal Expand the services and capacity of the Downtown garbage disposal, graffiti, litter, and sidewalk oil stains Flushing Transit Hub BID and other community-based organizations Repurpose underutilized public and private spaces through arts and cultural programming What’s Next? To address these key findings