With the completion of the Waterloo Road streetscape only weeks away, and the opening date set for the first of the street’s new restaurants and bars, the neighborhood’s development corporation Northeast Shores is turning its attention to another commercial district nearby: East 185th Street.
That street is much longer than the quarter-mile Waterloo district, with a couple of miles of businesses, a relic of the days of when neighborhoods revolved around walkable nearby business districts. Currently, E. 185th is a mixed bag, ranging from chic restaurants like Bistro 185 and the Standard to old-school bars like Cebar’s to family-style casual places like Scotti’s. It features garden centers, a custard stand, day care centers, car dealers, and flea market-type shops — and of course, empty storefronts.
Northeast Shores would like to bring new businesses to the street, a goal its latest initiative, ActiVacant, is focused on. It will incubate five new businesses in the area in the next three years.
The program will offer such lures as tiered rental that increases over 24 months as the businesses presumably become established, monetary incentives, and guidance and assistance from both Northeast Shores and other business mentors.
Northeast Shores is currently looking for applicants for the program who will be vetted based on their business plan and past experience as well as willingness to be involved in a documentary that will be made to promote the area and its businesses
What kinds of businesses are they looking for?
“We are really gearing it toward what the current needs of business district,” says Northeast Shores’ housing programs and property manager Charlie Kamen. “A lot of it has been focused around services to adjacent residents. We’re looking for variety. Food is a need in the district as far groceries, and general service needs — dry cleaning to apparel to specialty foods to books, business services, office supplies. We’re gearing toward entrepreneurs; we need new products, tech, design. These are up-and-coming businesses that can thrive in the district.”
The first round of applications is due August 14 but Kamen says it’s a rolling deadline that will continue into the fall. They hope to activate all the businesses at once sometime in 2015 to make a big splash.
You can get more information about ActiVacant here or by calling Julia DiBaggio at Northeast Shores at 216-481-7660.