The Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use

 

Upcoming Events, Funding Opportunities,  Legislative News, & More

(Friday) Extra, Extra! Click here for this week's video: President Lisa Sorin and Membership Manager Alexis Martinez are back with this week's Bronx Business & Community News! The Bronx-Metro North Station Area plan rezoning and Mobile Car Wash Enforcement transfer (details below); Longwood Gallery at Hostos College's impending move to the Bronx Council on the Arts space; Bronx GameChangers: rescheduled to 9/15 (Yanks vs. Red Sox!); Gala Updates

Bronx Chamber GameChangers Event Has Been Rescheduled to September 15!  Due to Tropical Storm Debby, the scheduled Yankee-Rangers game / Bronx Chamber GameChangers event did not take place on August 9 - but we are excited to announce that the event has been rescheduled to Sunday, September 15 when our Bronx Bombers will take on their baseball arch-rivals, the Boston Red Sox! (details below in Events section) Registration has reopened - don't miss out! Click here for tickets

Summer Hours: The Bronx Chamber office is on a 4-day schedule, closed every Friday through 8/30/24

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

City Council Approves Metro-North Stations Rezoning Yesterday, the New York City Council voted to approve the Bronx Metro-North Stations rezoning, which will add approximately 7,000 new residential housing units and make historic infrastructure and community investments in the surrounding East Bronx neighborhoods of Parkchester, Van Nest, and Morris Park with forthcoming Metro-North Stations. The plan leverages the new Metro-North service to promote transit-oriented development amidst the city’s housing crisis. It will advance economic growth, facilitate the development of housing, including affordable housing, as well secure investment in the public realm around stations to improve accessibility, pedestrian safety and quality of life. Read the full press release HERE.

Mobile Car Wash Enforcement Transfer  Due to recent law changes (Local Law 32 of 2024) in relation to unlicensed mobile car wash operators, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection launched an outreach campaign to create greater awareness of mobile car wash license requirements, the license application process, and penalties regarding operating without a license. Starting August 15, 2024, all inquiries regarding Mobile Car Wash enforcement should be directed to the Department of Sanitation, which will be responsible for enforcement. Click here to read the full bill.

Reminder Regarding Intro 991, pertaining to Hotel Licensing: Click Here for the Full Intro 991 Bill, sponsored by Council Member Julie Menin: This bill would require hotels to obtain a license in order to operate their business in the City. (Committee: Consumer & Worker Protection) Our concerns regarding impact on hotels in the Bronx: As this bill stands now, it will increase costs for hotels, and in turn make it more expensive for the consumer. Revoking a potential license for a hotel based on an outage of wi-fi or an elevator is not reasonable. We stand to lose any potential development of new hotels in our borough.  Learn About The Many Potential Impacts of Intro 991 Here We encourage all Bronx businesses who may be impacted by this legislation to contact your representatives to express concerns about Int 991 - CLICK HERE for a list of City Council Representatives and their contact information. The Bronx Chamber of Commerce planned to testify in person in front of the NYC Council at the Consumer and Worker Protection hearing scheduled for Tuesday, July 30th; however that hearing was postponed and has not yet been rescheduled. We encourage you to continue contacting your City Council representatives to voice your concerns. Be sure to visit our website Advocacy page for weekly Bronx Business Legislative Updates

BRONX CHAMBER 2024 GALA

Anything Is possible… Our annual gala is almost 4 weeks away! Chamber President Lisa Sorin shares her insights on our Gala theme and the selection of *SOPHIA*, our AI-powered humanoid Master of Ceremonies - who will join us to demystify AI and demonstrate its potential to fuel the growth of commerce, as we celebrate this year's Honorees for their unique contributions to our borough: DJ Ambulette, Business of the Year Monroe College, Community Organization of the Year Lemle & Wolff Companies, Developer of the Year Amazon, recipient of the Joseph P. Kelleher Excellence Award Thursday, September 19, 2024 Marina Del Rey, Bronx, NY 6:30 - 11:00pm Sincere thanks to our first round of Sponsors (updated list - in formation as of 8-15-24): Bronx AI Sponsors: Simone Development Companies, The Stagg Group Bronx Champions: Amazon, DJ Ambulette, Monroe College, Lemle & Wolff Companies Bronx Partner: DoorDash, Bally's Casino Bronx Supporters: Affinity by Molina Healthcare, KZA Realty Group, Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, Ponce Bank, Orange Bank & Trust Company, RiteCheck Cashing, Montefiore Medical Center, Woodlawn Cemetery & Conservancy Support the 2024 Gala with one of our comprehensive Sponsorship packages, and showcase your business among 600+ executives and community leaders, plus exclusive VIP benefits - view and purchase available Sponsorships, Tickets & Tables, Journal Ads and more HERE

ATTEND AND SUPPORT OUR GALA

MORE BRONX CHAMBER EVENTS

NEW DATE, NEW MATCHUP Bronx GameChangers Event Yankees vs. Red Sox Sunday, September 15 Game Time: 1:35pm (Suite Opens at 11:30am) Mother Nature trumped our plans for the previously-scheduled August 9 event, but in a fortuitous turn of events - GameChangers will now feature the ultimate baseball rivalry: Yankees vs. Red Sox! All prior ticketholders will be honored, and registration has re-opened for the few remaining spots - don't delay, this one is sure to sell out! CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS BEFORE THEY'RE GOING... GOING... GONE!

Roasting Room Ribbon Cutting Thursday, September 12 11:00am - 1:00pm 542 Barretto Street Bronx, NY 10474 Join the Bronx Chamber to celebrate the Grand Opening of our newest member, The Roasting Room by Buunni Coffee! Buunni Coffee brings Ethiopian hospitality and warmth to the United States via fabled, full-flavored coffee beans. Elias and Sarina, a husband-and-wife team, founded Buunni in 2012 when they moved west across the Atlantic and we are thrilled that they are opening up The Roasting Room, building on their passion for coffee and community building. The Roasting Room is a community space where the art of coffee roasting is celebrated, shared, and elevated. They are committed to fostering a culture of continuous learning, and creating a space where the coffee community can thrive together. RSVP HERE TO JOIN THE RIBBON CUTTING ON SEPTEMBER 12

Maximize Visibility: Google Business Profile Strategies Workshop Save the Date for an upcoming digital marketing webinar hosted by Bronx Chamber member PS Digital on October 2 at 12:00pm --  their specialists will share expert tips, tricks and strategies to attract new customers by optimizing your Google Business Profile. Registration is opening soon on our website - stay tuned! CHAMBER MEMBER & PARTNER NEWS AND EVENTS

For the complete Bronx Chamber Events Calendar, featuring educational workshops, networking events and other opportunities hosted by the Chamber, its members, & partners, please visit and bookmark our website events calendar link in your browser - new events are added weekly!