Press Release

New York City Department of Small Business Services Awards $90,000 Grant to Harlem One Stop for Merchant Organizing in Hamilton Heights 

NEW YORK (September 2024) – Dynishal Gross, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), announced today a $90,000 grant to Harlem One Stop, a community-based nonprofit organization, to enhance merchant organizing efforts in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. This funding is part of a broader commitment, with SBS having awarded over $35 million in grants to neighborhood organizations citywide since the beginning of the Adams administration. 

Yuien Chin, founder and director of Harlem One Stop, emphasized the importance of community collaboration, stating, “Building strong connections among our local businesses benefits the entire community. Over the past 12 years, Harlem One Stop has attracted new visitors and shoppers, hosted outdoor events, and beautified our streets. We look forward to expanding our advocacy efforts and bringing additional resources to Hamilton Heights in partnership with our dedicated business owners.” 

NYC SBS Commissioner Dynishal Gross added, “Investing in our city’s diverse neighborhoods and commercial corridors supports the well-being of every New Yorker. This round of grants will strengthen and expand the infrastructure for neighborhood development, bolstering the local economy and making New York City’s streets safer, more welcoming, and more vibrant.” 

The Hamilton Heights Merchant Organizing initiative has ambitious goals: 

• Drive Traffic and Marketing Initiatives: Support long-standing businesses, new ventures, and potential newcomers to Hamilton Heights as they recover from the pandemic. 
• Establish a Business Alliance: Create a network of business owners to foster collaboration, enhance foot traffic, and address common challenges. 
• Improve the commercial corridor attractiveness. 
• Develop a Neighborhood Business directory: Publish and promote a directory featuring retail, office services, healthcare, and home-based entrepreneurs by 2024. 

Hamilton Heights is rich in cultural heritage, home to long-standing families, small businesses, and significant cultural attractions. The merchant organizing project will highlight the community’s assets and connect businesses with marketing and promotional opportunities, including tours, festivals like the Harlem Culture Crawl, Art in Windows, and sales promotions. 

Chin added, “For many years, Harlem One Stop has been dedicated to historic preservation. We will channel that same energy into preserving and promoting the cultural legacy of our neighborhood’s businesses.”