History
Fulton FIRST is an economic development initiative of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce focused on the retail revitalization of Fulton Street in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant. In November 2000, initial funding of the project was made possible by a $750,000 grant from FleetBoston Financial Foundation. Additional funding has been made possible by the support of Congressman Edolphus Towns, the Office of the Mayor of New York City and the NYC Department of Small Business Services through the extension of a $3 million grant to broaden the impact of the project. The additional funding made possible the completion of the Fulton Street Retail Redevelopment Plan in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Fulton Street Retail Redevelopment Study
In November 2001, the architectural planning firm, Davis Brody Bond, LLP, Architects and Planners (DBB), was selected by a committee of residents, business people and community leaders to conduct a comprehensive retail redevelopment study of Fulton Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant. As the project manager, DBB led the team of professionals that designed a master plan. The plan is the framework for increasing the number of cultural/entertainment venues, attracting new commercial opportunities and improving the streetscape and traffic flow of Fulton Street in the project area. The project team consisted of:
Project Manager/Architecture and Planning
Davis Brody Bond, LLP Architects and PlannersRetail & Real Estate Development Recommendations and Demographic Analysis
Real Estate Solutions LLC and Phillips Preiss Shapiro Associates, Inc.Traffic Management
The Sam Schwartz Company
Signage
Two Twelve Harakawa, Inc.
Streetscape Design
Signe Nielson Landscape Architects
Community Outreach
Barfield Public Relations
Lighting
Ann Kale Associates
Fulton FIRST Community Partners
A critical component to the success of Fulton FIRST is partnerships with recognized institutions in the community. Funding for the initiative has allowed the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to leverage alliances with organizations based in Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant who have a vested interest in assisting the residential and business communities. The following are community-based institutions that have assisted or are continuing to assist with ongoing Fulton FIRST initiatives:
Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
o Business Improvement District Feasibility Study
o Development of Merchants Association
o Facade Improvement Program
o Technical Assistance to Merchants
o Financial Assistance to Merchants
Business Outreach Center Network
o Financial Assistance to Merchants
o Seminars on Leasing & Merchandising
Central Brooklyn Partnership (2001 – 2002 Program Year):
o Development of Bedford-Stuyvesant Co-op Market
o Technical Assistance to vendors in Co-op Market
International African Arts Festival (2002 Program Year):
o Development of Bedford-Stuyvesant Co-op Market
o Technical Assistance to vendors in Co-op Market
Pratt Area Community Council
o Business Improvement District Feasibility Study
o Employment & Entrepreneurship Resource Center
o Merchant Organizing
o Location Assistance
o Free Business Counseling
o Fulton Area Business Association
o Mid Fulton Street Merchants Association
Fulton FIRST Accomplishments -- November 2000 to Date:
The following new businesses opened on Fulton Street, filling currently under-served niches as identified by Davis Brody Bond, LLP, in the Fulton Street Retail Redevelopment Plan:
o Asada New York, an upscale clothing boutique.
o Buccoo Reef, a sit-down restaurant, featuring fine Caribbean cuisine.
o Edwards Entertainment & Sports Professionals, entertainment attorneys.
o Munchies, a bakery and sandwich shop.
o Perky Days, a coffee shop.
o The Walker Pet Shop, a pet store and pet photography studio.
o Sister’s Hardware, a hardware store.
o Cambridge Dental, a dental office.
o Brown Chocolate Café, a sports bar.
o Traffic, a Japanese restaurant.
o Rain, a bar and lounge.
o Venus Imports, jewelry and perfume store.
o Mishon Mishon, a natural hair care salon.
o Clean-Rite, a regional 24-hour Laundromat chain.
o Bodegas, a restaurant and produce stand.
o Yolele, a restaurant and art gallery.
Fulton FIRST partners Pratt Area Community Council & Business Outreach Center facilitated 2 SBA loans for Fulton FIRST clients totaling over $400,000.
Facade Improvement Program
o Awarded over $26,000 in matching grants.
o Completed 28 facade improvements to date.
The Doe Fund ongoing street maintenance and Graffiti Answers graffiti removal service:
o 1000 bags of trash removed weekly.
o 622,500 tons of trash removed to date.
o Serviced over 100 storefronts, mailboxes, fireboxes, and utility poles.
Business services providers facilitated over $70K in grant disbursement and loan referrals.
Provided technical assistance to more than 120 clients.
Created the Fulton FIRST Cultural Coalition (FFCC), an association of twelve area cultural institutions. Fulton FIRST provided publicity support to the FFCC through arrangement with Rubenstein Associates.
FFCC completed 1st Edition of Bedford-Stuyvesant: A Cultural Heritage Guide.
Awarded the Deutsche Bank Arts & Enterprise Grant, in conjunction with Fulton FIRST Cultural Coalition partners, Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation and Weeksville Society, the $150,000 grant will fund:
o 2nd edition of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Cultural Heritage Guide.
o Ongoing public relations support initiated by the Fulton FIRST Cultural Coalition.
o A Bedford-Stuyvesant Destination Marketing Campaign.
3rd Annual Festive Fulton December 13, 2003 featuring over 70 participating businesses in Clinton Hill and Fort Greene.
Completion of $750,000 NYC Dept. of Transportation (DOT) street lamp project with the support of NYC Council Member Al Vann and NYS Assembly Member Annette Robinson.
Received 2002 NYC Neighborhood Development Achievement Award from Office of the Mayor and NYC Dept. of Small Business Services.
Production of Retail Attraction Packages for Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Establishment of Fulton Area Business (FAB) Association, Ludlow Beckett, proprietor, Yú Interiors, president.
Developed Store Front Strolls to market available Fulton Street store fronts to prospective tenants.
Created project newsletter, the Fulton First Forward.
Establishment of Fulton Street-Nostrand Avenue United Merchants Association.
Establishment of Bedford-Stuyvesant Cooperative Market. | 
