Maspeth Chamber seeks volunteers for Grand Avenue cleanup
Residents can earn community service hours while helping clear tree pits as part of a push to form a local business district.
By Julian Schulz ·
The Maspeth Chamber of Commerce is recruiting residents to help clean and green Grand Avenue. The group will hold tree pit cleanups from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, and again the following week on Nov. 21. Participants must register ahead of time by emailing maspethbidformation@gmail.com. Students who take part will receive community service hours.
The cleanup is part of a larger effort to establish a business improvement district, or BID, in Maspeth. The chamber is sponsoring the event with support from the city Department of Small Business Services and the nonprofit Open Plans. According to the department's website, BIDs are zones where local stakeholders manage and pay for the upkeep and promotion of commercial areas. These groups often handle street cleaning, beautification projects, and event planning.
City representatives recently joined neighbors on a walk along Grand Avenue to talk with local businesses. They discussed ways to improve the corridor, according to a post on the proposed BID's Instagram account. The post invited business owners, property owners, and community members to share their ideas and help shape the future of the area.
“As we explore the formation of the Maspeth Business Improvement District (BID), we’re inviting local business owners, property owners, and community members to get informed, share their ideas, and help shape a vision for a stronger, more vibrant Grand Avenue,” the Instagram caption reads.
Those who want more information about the BID initiative can visit maspeth.bid or email info@maspeth.bid.
