M MARBLE H HiLl MARBLE HILL Manhattan & Bronx NYC District Council 10, Manhattan Community Boards 7 & 8, Bronx COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT NYC Small Business Services Neighborhood 360° Fellow 2018-2019 Camelia Tepelus Hosted by the Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Van Cortlandt Development Corporation (KRVC) ABOUT MARBLE HILL Background This report includes research conducted by SBS Neighborhood 360° Fellow Camelia Tepelus between June 2018 and Marble Hill is a small neighborhood at the most northern part of Manhattan across from the Harlem March 2019. River, connected with the rest of Manhattan by the Broadway Bridge at 225th Street. While The project was supported by the geographically it is currently a part of continental Bronx, administratively and jurisdictionally Marble following organizations and groups: Hill is largely part of Manhattan. Even though it receives City services from the Bronx, and is part of Bronx Community Boards 7 and 8, Marble Hill is represented by Manhattan elected representatives Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Van Cortlandt (except four buildings with Exterior Street addresses that have Bronx elected representatives). This Development Corporation (KRVC) particularity stems from the history of this area which was originally part of the island of Manhattan. KRVC is a non-profit established in 1981, Occupied as a Dutch colonial settlement in 1646, Marble Hill gained its name in 1891, for the marble with the mission to encourage and deposits underneath the neighborhood. Marble Hill became an island in the Harlem River when it was support local initiatives that will build and enrich community through social, separated from Manhattan by the construction of the Harlem Ship Canal in 1895. In 1914, the Harlem cultural, environmental, health, housing, River was filled in on the north side of Marble Hill, connecting it to mainland Bronx. This man-made educational and business enterprises. KRVC started working in Marble Hill in geography modification caused environmental impacts that still affect Marble Hill. A plaque in the 2014. KRVC’s Marble Hill project is Marble Hill Playground at 230th Street is the only remaining indication of the administrative border supervised by Tracy Shelton, Executive Director and Shari Hall, Development between Manhattan and the rest of the Bronx, north of Marble Hill. Director. Today, Marble Hill is home to a homogeneous community of residents, predominantly Hispanic and low income. The neighborhood is connected to the rest of Manhattan and the Bronx by the 1 train that runs Marble Hill Merchants Association over Broadway as an elevated line, by Metro North Hudson Line Marble Hill stop, and by several buses The Marble Hill Merchants Association is a merchant organizing effort initiated and and express buses. Except for a very small area zoned as M1-1 (Manufacturing), Marble Hill is zoned as supported by KRVC. NYC SBS provided R5 and R6 (Residential). The neighborhood is split by Broadway into two distinct sections: east of support for branding and marketing for a Broadway, largely single-family private homes, with several six and seven stories high rises; and west of new association logo launched in June 2018, developed through the Broadway the 11-buildings complex “Marble Hill Houses” (NYCHA), where 70% of the Marble Hill Neighborhood Design Lab program. population resides (four buildings along Exterior Street are considered to be in Kingsbridge). NYC Small Business Services The commercial corridor consists primarily of small businesses located along Broadway, between 225th and 228th Streets, then along 225th Street, along 228th Street and some located within the residential The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) helps unlock economic area. The anchor store is the Target at Riverside Plaza mall on the 225th Street. Although Marble Hill potential and create economic security high rises have wonderful river views, there is no community access to the Harlem River waterfront, by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and except from the Marble Hill Metro North station situated at river level west of Broadway. building thriving neighborhoods cross the five boroughs. The Neighborhood Neighborhood Demographics See more on page 13 360° Program was created by the NYC Department of Small Business Services to identify, develop, and launch Marble Hill is a compact and relatively homogeneous area with 11,085 residents. The population commercial revitalization projects in partnership with local stakeholders. density is double than the Bronx average, and the average household size in Marble Hill is 9.2 people, Through proactive planning and targeted triple the value of the NYC average 2.7 people. investments, Neighborhood 360° By ethnicity, Marble Hill has a large majority of Hispanic population 74%, more concentrated than the supports projects that strengthen and revitalize the streets, small businesses, 44% average across Bronx CB8. Within the Hispanic majority, 55% identify as being of Dominican and community-based organizations that origin. 30% to 44% of the Marble Hill population speaks English “less than very well.” The percentage anchor New York City neighborhoods. of population below poverty level in Marble Hill is 30.7% more than double the New York City average of 14.7%. In This Report Existing conditions, business data, and Future Opportunities See more on page 5 qualitative depictions of the neighborhood were gathered from more than 52 shopper surveys, 25 business The peculiar situation of Marble Hill being a part of Manhattan while being served by Bronx owner surveys, 9 key stakeholder infrastructure makes the planning and execution of infrastructure, streetscape and public space interviews, 3 compliance advisory improvements challenging to fund, organize and pursue. consultations, 4 commercial corridor and community outreach events, as The potential creation of a Marble Hill Business Improvement District (BID) would provide a well as numerous interviews with sustainable financial basis to fulfill some of the area’s immediate and reoccurring needs, especially neighborhood merchants, shoppers, workers, community leaders, property sanitation and beautification, safety and activation of public spaces. Continued SBS support for this owners, and residents. corridor including a formal CDNA process remains crucial for Marble Hill to improve and thrive. Jump to… Two different initiatives may, in the long run, bring significant developments to Marble Hill, by Key Findings 4-5 addressing environmental challenges such as the flooding risk, and by improving community access to Business Inventory 6 the Harlem and Hudson River waterfronts. The “Daylighting Tibbetts” project would create a green What Merchants Say 7-8 public space, with a flowing water course (the former Tibbetts Brook currently directed into the Business Outlook 9 sewer system) from 242nd Street at Van Cortlandt Park to the Harlem River, and between Broadway What Shoppers Say 10 and the Major Deegan Expressway. The project would reduce the significant flooding risk in Marble Physical Environment 11 Hill, by redirecting five million gallons of rain water that currently use sewer system capacity. The Data appendix 12-15 “Hudson River Greenway” is a project aiming to provide the North West Bronx community access to the Hudson River waterfront and to connect it with Manhattan through a bicycle and pedestrian accessible path. SBS Neighborhood 360° Fellowship 2018-2019, Marble Hill Community Needs Assessment 2 NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT Marble Hill Points of Interest ① Saint Stephen’s United Methodist Church ② Mosholu Montefiore Community Center ① Senior Center and Cornerstone Project ③ Outer Seed Shadow Marble Hill ④ Outer Seed Shadow Marble Hill Terrace ⑤ The Promenade Apartments ⑥ Riverside Plaza (Target) Commercial activity in Marble Hill is concentrated primarily along Broadway between 225th and 228th Streets. Small businesses are also located on the 225th Street and 228th Street blocks west of ① St. Stephen’s United Broadway. Several small businesses are Methodist Church dispersed within the residential area west of Broadway. ② Mosholu Montefiore Community Center 225th St east of Broadway to Target has ④ #OSSMHTerrace, community garden larger stores and is maintained by the Riverside Plaza developer and by the NY ⑤ The Promenade Apartments Presbyterian Allen Pavilion located ③#OSSMH, community garden across the Broadway Bridge in Inwood. Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Van Cortlandt Development Corporation (KRVC) located Metro North Hudson Line one mile away in Riverdale (Bronx) supported merchant organizing and corridor improvement projects in the ① Marble Hill section of Broadway since 2014, including branding and logo for a Marble Hill Merchants Association. The closest Business Improvement ⑥ Riverside Plaza and Target District is the neighboring Kingsbridge BID starting at 230th Street north along Broadway. The Promenade Apartments, and Metro North Railroad Hudson Line - Marble Hill St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church Staion Outer Seed Shadow Marble Hill Terrace Neighborhood Events Marble Hill Houses Family Day (August annual event, produced by NYCHA and the Marble Hill Houses residents) Marble Hill Merchants Association ‘Shop Local & Save’ and community leaders networking events (spring and fall, produced by KRVC) Marble Hill Holiday Trolley of Fun (December, produced by KRVC) Merchant & Community Groups Marble Hill Merchants Association (supported by KRVC) Marble Hill Houses Tenants Council (operating in the