As chains take over every nook and cranny of this city, some people in the East Village are forming a united front against them. The Villager reports on the corporate takeover, the resistance and the new spin on this story as old as time.
Multiple Starbucks in Astor Place act as a welcome sign to the East Village, but the East Village Community Coalition would like to say good riddance to them, and more than that, they want to take a new approach to the "formula retail" zoning of their neighborhood. Spearheaded by the coalition's co-founder Michael Rosen, the plan would change the city's Zoning Resolution and prevent too many of those familiar names and logos from coming in and displacing mom and pop. Restrictions could be in the form of size caps, special-permit obligations specific to chains, changing of signage to blend with the neighborhood...or in the EVCC's hope, ban big businesses altogether. The Pratt Center for Community Development is helping research how to prevent "the area between 13th and Houston Sts. and between Third Ave. and the East River" from turning into a strip mall. What's the chance of any of this working? The Villager notes that "parts of San Francisco adopted formula retail legislation more than three years ago that stated any retail business operating more than 11 stores worldwide could not open a new location in the city."
Reverend Billy asks if a retailer like Starbucks has a place in the East Village, which is historically countercultural, and was once home to notables like Allen Ginsberg and Abbie Hoffman. But can the defenders of the neighborhood’s history and diversity save it? Tony Avella, chairperson of the City’s Zoning Committee and possible future Mayoral candidate, is helping the EVCC out, and notes, “It will be hard to do, but that shouldn’t be a reason for them not to proceed further."
Photo of chains on 1st Avenue and 6th Street via Emily Geoff's Flickr.
