· 16^th Avenue Business Survey
· Retail and Marketing Survey for the West Side Business Hub

16^th Avenue Business Survey
Partners: Center for Urban Policy Research (CUPR), Tri-City Peoples Corporation

RCOPC has worked with the Tri-City People's Corporation on a merchant organizing initiative aimed to rejuvenate and energize the 16th Avenue Merchants Association and spur economic development along this commercial corridor. One of three principal commercial corridors within West Side Park, 16th Avenue is an important neighborhood shopping and convenience goods location and fronts the county park that gives the West Side Park community its name. Commercial deterioration along this corridor creates a hardship for residents and threatens to undermine the major park redevelopment effort that is currently underway. CUPR and Tri-City are collaborating to organize 16th Avenue small business owners into a Merchants Associate to facilitate information sharing, offer technical assistance, and provide visibility and an institutional voice to this critical sector of the community. Under this initiative, CUPR surveyed small businesses on 16th Avenue to identify their needs and concerns and their suggestions for activities for the Merchants Association.

16^th Avenue Business Survey (.PDF)

Retail and Marketing Survey for the West Side Business Hub
Partners: Center for Urban Policy Research (CUPR), Rutgers Graduate School of Management, and CREST Community Development Corporation

In Phase I of this project, CREST CDC is seeking to develop a supermarket and associated retailing on a central site on Springfield Avenue in the heart of West Side Park. RCOPC is assisting CREST is completing market and retail analyses that will demonstrate sufficient market potential to support the retailing planned for the site. Documentation of market viability is essential to obtain project financing.

In Phase II, CREST CDC is proposing development of a small business incubator adjacent to the supermarket site. RCOPC was instrumental in obtaining the services of the Rutgers Graduate School of Management's Interfunctional Program which is conducting a feasibility analysis of the West Side Business Hub incubator project. A team of faculty and students in the School of Management's off-campus MBA program is providing technical assistance through development of a financial analysis and business plan for the West Side Hub business incubator.

(click to enlarge) CREST Market Analysis Trade Areas

(click to enlarge) CREST Market Analysis Trade Area Block Groups

(click to enlarge) CREST Market Analysis Trade Areas Local Businesses

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