New lights and cameras go up at the Hub as businesses see signs of change
The Third Avenue Business Improvement District showed off the upgrades Thursday near Roberto Clemente Plaza.
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Look above some storefronts around the Hub and you’ll see new solar lights and cameras facing the street.
The Third Avenue Business Improvement District showed off the upgrades Thursday near Roberto Clemente Plaza. The group says it has installed more than 75 solar-powered lights across 30 storefronts and 18 cameras at 10 locations. Two new public safety ambassadors are also working in the area.
The changes follow years of complaints from business owners about drug use, safety and conditions outside their stores. A district survey released earlier this year found that cleanliness, safety and drug use were among people’s top concerns.
“There are a lot of different issues that we’re trying to address, from folks struggling with mental health to illegal parking to illegal drug sales,” said Pedro Suarez, the BID’s executive director.
City Department of Small Business Services funding paid for the lights, while state Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding paid for the cameras, according to the BID. Suarez said the camera locations were chosen with the NYPD using reports of problems in the area. The BID can view the cameras live and says footage is kept for 22 days.
The public safety ambassadors have a different job. They are not police officers. Suarez said they check on people who may need help, carry Narcan in case of an overdose, and report problems to the appropriate responders or outreach groups. For now, the two ambassadors work Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Plaza Discount owner Siraj Bhaiyat said he remembers when theft and drug use outside were worse.
“But now it’s much better,” he said.
David Vasquez, who has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years, also said things are looking better.
There are still problems to address. News 12 saw drug use on nearby streets Thursday. And Roberto Clemente Plaza, which has been at the center of concerns about public drug use, is not open around the clock. The BID is holding wellness fairs there on Thursdays and says community groups can seek permits for other events. Suarez said the goal is to eventually reopen the plaza fully, but he did not give a date.
The BID says vacant storefronts in its district have dropped by 50% over the past three years. Suarez estimated that about 10 ground-floor spaces remain vacant. Those figures are the BID’s estimates.
Next, the group wants to extend the ambassadors’ hours during the holiday shopping season and eventually grow the team from two to four. Suarez said it will track complaints and emergency calls to see whether conditions improve — including during the evenings and weekends, when the ambassadors are not currently scheduled.
