Chamber Mulls Main Street Beautification
by Mary Camper-Titsingh

What can be done to revitalize Main Street’s mercantile climate?

While RIOC has advanced the idea of a master tenant managing all the retail space on Main Street, the Roosevelt Island Chamber of Commerce has been working with the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) to seek grants and find other ways to help merchants. Part of the program is beautification of Main Street, and some tentative steps in that direction were shown last week at a Chamber legislative breakfast held in Gallery RIVAA.

Hector Santana of ESDC told gathered residents and aides to politicians representing the Island that increased tourism is a key objective – making Roosevelt Island a destination. He said beautification might include the sprucing up of storefronts and historical sights such as Blackwell House, welcoming banners all the way to the Tram, more trees and flowers, and replacing garbage cannisters and street lighting. (The last two items are already under way, according to reports at RIOC Board meetings.)

Architect Alyssa Klem of Becker and Becker (the Octagon developer) presented a tentative plan – so far only in the theoretical stage – for an altered Eastwood collanade. Her plan involves improved lighting, removal of some glass panels, awnings, flower pots, and hanging shop signs visible from Main Street.

So far, the ideas are just conceptual, put forward by the architectural firm of Becker and Becker and architect Alyssa Klem, as part of a Chamber of Commerce consideration of how Main Street retail might be revitalized at some point in the future. The concept, shown at a meeting last week, adds awnings, business signs visible from the street, and lighting. It removes some or all of the partial walls between pillars. All the ideas are expected to be the subject of a good deal of consideration before anything is proposed in final form.