MARP Receives NY Main Street Funding

The Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project was awarded $200,000 in the fourth round of New York Main Street (NYMS) program funding from the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR). This is the third time MARP has been awarded a NYMS contract, having been awarded $105,000 in 2005 for the first round of NYMS funding, and $195,000 in 2006 for the third round of funding. The NYMS program allocates funds to organizations working to improve historic commercial corridors in order for them to distribute matching incentive grants to owners of mixed-use buildings looking to restore their properties.

The NYMS Program is funded by the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) and its Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC). The program aims to strengthen local economic development throughout New York State by rebuilding downtowns and main streets by providing matching grants for façade and interior building renovations, as well as streetscape enhancements such as improving lighting, landscaping, signage, street furniture.

To date, MARP has rehabilitated five building facades, with before and after photos viewable on our site's Program & Projects area. This work restored historic elements such as cornices, masonry, cast-iron details, doors, windows, storefronts, and brownstone. We also enhanced the streetscape by expanding 97 tree pits to make them all consistently sized 8 feet long by 5 feet wide, 40 square feet in size. Before the expansion, they were much smaller and inconsistently sized. The tree pit expansion project removed over 1600 square feet of concrete to give the trees more access air, water, and nutrients, and the tree pits were lined with Belgian blocks to give them an ornamented edge.

Having completed five building rehabilitations and streetscape enhancements from the first award, we are making significant progress toward rehabilitating Myrtle’s historic character. The additional funds from this fourth round of funding will allow us to continue providing financial resources to help property owners to renovate their buildings and restore historic detailing, thereby improving Myrtle Avenue's building stock, making it more beautiful and better for business.

As a result of the NYMS program, by the end of 2007 we will have brought about façade improvements to seven buildings and improved the street's tree pits, totaling over $230,000 in private and public investment.

The next façade rehabilitations that are just starting work are located at 413 and 478 Myrtle Avenue.

If you are a property owner of a mixed-use building on Myrtle Avenue between Flatbush and Classon and are interested in making restorations to your building, please contact us.