The proliferation of chain stores and bank branches is an increasing threat to the character of diverse neighborhoods throughout New York City.  By highlighting successful innovations that have been adopted in other cities and exploring the distinct pressures faced by business owners, this program aims to provide local merchants, community members, and municipal representatives with tools and strategies to safeguard small-scale retail, drive economic development, and establish a constituency pushing for policy reform.

Solutions for Preserving New York’s Neighborhood Businesses
Monday, October 6, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
At the West Side Institutional Synagogue, 120 West 76th Street at Columbus Avenue, MAP
FREE, but reservations are strongly recommended. RSVP online or call 212 935 2075. Advance ticket purchase is available until 3:00 p.m. the day of for programs that are not sold-out. Attendees are advised to arrive fifteen minutes prior to the event start time, as late seating is not guaranteed. Those without reservations will be admitted, space permitting, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Panelists:
Moderator Adam Friedman, executive director of the New York Industrial Retention Network, will lead an expert panel including: Vicki Weiner, director of planning and preservation at the Pratt Center for Community Development; John Shapiro, partner in Phillips Preiss Shapiro Associates; Walter Edwards, chairperson of the Harlem Business Alliance; Makale Faber Cullen, director of social ventures at the Center for the Urban Environment; and Tom Cowell, economic development policy analyst at the Office of the Manhattan Borough President.

For details of upcoming MAS programs, visit www.mas.org/programs or download the fall program calendar here.