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La Marqueta: Examining the Retail Landscape of East Harlem
Submitted in Partial Fullfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Urban Planning
Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
Columbia University
May 2013
Abby Scattergood
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Abstract: Located in the East Harlem section of Manhattan, La Marqueta was established in the 1930s to house the abundance of pushcart vendors clogging the city’s streets, and is now one of only four remaining public markets in the five boroughs. At the peak of Spanish Harlem in the 1950’s and ‘60s, La Marqueta had more than 500 vendors. As the East Harlem neighborhood has changed, however, La Marqueta has dwindled in size to only eight vendors and continues to struggle to attract customers and support profitable businesses. This thesis will analyze the feasibility of La Marqueta’s future in East Harlem through a neighborhood demographic and retail analysis as well as a comparative analysis of other markets with similar characteristics to La Marqueta. Ultimately, this research will provide recommendations for La Marqueta to support profitable and sustainable businesses and increase foot traffic and sales at the market.
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Table Of Contents
I.Introduction p.4 II.Background p.6
III.LiteratureReview p.8 Retail in the Inner City p.8 Latino Communities p.8 Physical Approaches p.10 Public Markets p.10
IV.ResearchMethodology p.12 V. Analysis Chapter 1 - Neighborhood Analysis p.14 Chapter 2 - Market Analysis p.20 Chapter 3 - Comparative Analysis p.25
VI.Recommendations p.30
VII.Conclusion p.36
Bibliography p.37
Appendix p.39
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I. Introduction
Theretaillandscapeinurbanareashasdrasticallychangedduringthepast50years.WiththecreationofthefirstsuburbanmallinMinnesotain1956,theroleofthecentralcityasaretaildestinationdiminishedgreatlybytheendofthe20thCentury.Populationshiftstothesuburbsanddisinvestmentinsocalledinnercitiesexacerbatedthisproblemduringthelatterhalfofthe20thCentury,andcreatedhyper-segregatedunderservedareasofferingfew,oroverwhelminglyunhealthy,retailoptionstolocalresidents.Asresidentialpreferenceshaveshiftedbacktourbanareas,under-retailedneighborhoodshavecometothefore,particularlyrelatingtourbanhealthdisparitiesandtheincorporationof“fooddeserts”intotheurbanpolicydebate.Asaresult,under-retailedneighborhoodshavebeenthefocusofpolicyinterventionsduringthepastseveralyears.InNewYorkCity,severalinitiatives,suchasGrowNYC,aimtoaddressthisissuebyprovidingopportunitiesforresidentsoflow-incomeneighborhoodstopurchaselocalproduceatoutdoorFarmer’sMarkets.Infact,marketplacesandpop-upmarketsacrossNewYorkCityhavereceivedasurgeofattentionasuniqueculturalassetsthatcanofferbothartisanalandhealthy,localfoodatdifferentpricepoints.
EastHarlem’sLaMarqueta,oneofNewYorkCity’soriginalpublicmarkets,sitsattheintersectionofthefooddesertandthemarketplace.LocatedunderneaththeMetroNorthraillineviaduct,LaMarquetawasdevelopedinthe1930stohousethearea’smanypush-cartvendorswhowerecloggingthestreetscausinghealthandsafetyhazards.Duringitshey-dayinthe1950sand‘60s,LaMarquetawasacenterofeconomicandculturalactivityfortheburgeoningLatinocommunityandhadmorethan500vendors.OnSaturdays,“themarketteemedwithsomanypeoplethat…youdidnotmovealongofyourownaccord;thecrowdcarriedyou.”(Mindlin2008,p.1).Changingneighborhooddemographicsandconsumerbehavior,aswellastheincreasingavailabilityofLatin-Americanproductselsewherethroughoutthecity,causedthemarket’sdeclineinthe1980s.
TheemergenceofHotBreadKitchenin2011,akitchenincubatorprovidingcookingequipmentandspacetoimmigrantentrepreneurs,hasbroughtsomeattentionbacktoLaMarqueta.Recently,themarketowner,theNewYorkCityEconomicDevelopmentCorporation(NYCEDC),hasalsobegunreinvestinginthemarket,securingtwonewtenantsandissuingarequestforproposal(RFP)fordevelopingadditionalfoodproductionspaceadjacenttoLaMarqueta.Despitetheseefforts,LaMarquetastillhasalongwaytogobeforeitcaneffectivelyserveasashoppingdestinationforeithercommunityresidentsorvisitors.
ThisthesisaimstoanalyzethefeasibilityofLaMarqueta’sfutureinEastHarlembyexamininghowLaMarquetameets(orfailstomeet)theretailneedsofbothitscommunityandabroaderconsumerbase.Although“success”cantakemanyforms,“success”atLaMarquetawillbedefinedasthecreationorretentionofsustainableandprofitablebusinesseswithinthemarketandanincreaseinbothfoottrafficandsalesatthemarket.Thisresearchwillhelpinformideasforimprovingthemarketsothatitcanbemoresuccessfulinthelongterm,includingidentifyingwhatfactorsarenecessaryforthemerchantsatLaMarquetatobecomefinanciallysoundandself-sustaining,andmarketingandcommunitydevelopmentstrategiestodrawmoretraffictothemarket.
Toanswerthesequestions,thisstudywillincludeananalysisofthemarketbothasashoppingdestinationaswellasitsroleasaretailcenterforthesurroundingcommunity.Inmyresearch,Iwillconductananalysisofexistingretailstockwithinahalf-mileradiusofLaMarquetaaswellasademographicandeconomic
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analysisoftheEastHarlempopulationtoanalyzeeconomicandshoppingtrendsofcommunityresidents.IwillalsolookatLaMarquetafromamanagerial,physical,andlocationperspectivetoanalyzethemarkets’keystrengthsandweaknesses.IhypothesizethatLaMarquetahasnotbeensuccessfulbecauseitisnotrespondingtotheevolvingdemandsforretailinEastHarlem,andlargerconsumershoppingbehavioraltrends,bothinitsphysicalstructureandappearanceandbythetypesofgoodsbeingsold.ThisthesiswillcontributetotheexistingresearchthroughexaminingtheneedsandconsumptionpatternsinEastHarlemandatLaMarqueta,andidentifyingstrategiesforthemarket’sfuturesuccessanddevelopment.
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II. BackgroundIn1936,MayorFiorelloLaGuardiaopenedtheParkAvenueRetailMarket,partoftheMayor’sCitizens
CommitteeonOpenMarketstoenclosethecity’smanypushcartvendorsthatwerecloggingthestreetscausinghealthandsafetyhazards.WiththemigrationofLatinos,andpredominatelyPuertoRicans,toEastHarleminthe1940’sand‘50’s,theareabecameknownasSpanishHarlemandtheParkAvenueRetailMarketbecameknownas“LaMarqueta.”LaMarquetawasoriginallycomposedoffivebuildingsonParkAvenuefrom111thStreetto119thStreet.Atitspeak,themarketwasmadeupofapproximately30,000squarefeetofleasablespaceandmorethan500vendors.ThemarketpredominatelyservedtheLatinocommunityofEastHarlem,CentralHarlem,andSouthBronx,butwasalsoadestinationforthoselookingtopurchaseethnicfoodsthatwerenotavailableelsewhereintheCity.
LaMarquetahasnowdwindledinsizetoonemainbuilding-Building4-ofabout10,000squarefeet,whichhousesthecurrentmerchants,locatedon115thandPark;Lots1and2tothesouth,whichareusedforparking;avacantbuilding(Building3)justtothesouthofthemainbuilding,originallyusedformeatcoldstorageandwholesaledistribution;anopenPlaza(“LaPlacita”)between115thand116th streets,usedoccasionallyasaneventspaceforspecialprogramming;andUrbanGardenCenter,anurseryandgardensupplystoreon116th and Park. LaMarquetawasoriginallymanagedbytheCityofNewYork,butinthelate1960’stheParkAvenueMerchant’sAssociationnetleasedLaMarquetaandbecameresponsibleforthemanagementandmaintenanceofthemarket.Atthesametime,itwasbecomingincreasinglydifficulttoattractnewbusinessesandshopperstoLaMarqueta.Large-scalehousingabandonmentinthe1970sand1980s,particularlyintheSouthBronxandHarlem,severelycrippleddemandbybothvendorsandshoppersatLaMarqueta.Infact,thepopulationofEastHarlemcontractedby43%between1950and1980,fromapeak210,000peoplein1950toaround120,000in1980,illustratingtheextentoftheneighborhood’sdeclineandthedifficultyindrummingupdemand.(CityofNewYork,CommunityDistrictNeeds1993.)
Figure 1: La Marqueta Site Plan
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TheCityre-assumedcontroloftheMarketin1985aftertheParkAvenueMerchantsAssociationsurrendereditslease.TheCityenteredintoaleasein1988withaprivatedeveloperformanagementandredevelopmentoftheMarket,buttheseplansalsofellthrough,andin1992theNYCEDCtookownershipandmanagementresponsibilitiesofLaMarqueta.SincetheEDChastakenownership,therehavebeenseveralattemptsatredevelopingandrevitalizingthemarket.Notably,in1996,theCityinvested$1.4MillionunderMayorGiulianitocreatethePlazaandanewfaçadeforBuilding4.Sincethattime,otherlarge-scalerevitalizationplansbyboththeEDCandcommunitygroupshavebeenproposed,althoughnothinghastakenholdduetolackoffundingandconvergingpoliticalinterests.
OneofthemostnotableplansforredevelopmentoftheLaMarquetasitewasproposedbyHarlemCommunityDevelopmentCorporation(HCDC)in2010.“LaMarquetaMile,”astheplaniscalled,seekstoincorporateaffordablevendingspacesforupto900vendorsonthelotsunderneaththeMetroNorthviaduct,stretchingfrom111thStreetto137thStreet.Thisplanwouldnotonlyprovideaffordablespaceforlocalvendorsandentrepreneurs,butwouldalsocreateanestimated4,000jobsandwouldturnLaMarquetaintoadestination.(Giles,2010.)AlthoughtheLaMarquetaMileplanwaswellreceived,itfailedtosecurefunding,acostestimatedatabout$2.1millionperblock.(Feiden,2012.)
InJanuary2011,HotBreadKitchen(HBK)receivedfundingfromtheUpperManhattanEmpowermentZoneandtheNYCEDCtoopenawholesalingandproductionspace,smallretailstall,andbusinessincubationservicesinLaMarqueta’sBuilding4.ThesecuringofHBKbroughtsignificantmediaattentionbacktothemarket,andhasbeenacatalystinthemarket’srebirth.TheEDChasrecentlysignedtwonew,non-LatintenantstotheMarket,NordicPreservesandBuerre&Sel(whowererequiredtoopeninLaMarquetainordertoalsoopenstallsintheEssexStreetMarket),inhopesthatthiswillhelpLaMarquetareachawideraudience.Moreover,inJune2011,MayorBloombergallotted$2MillionfromtheCityCouncilSmallManufacturingInvestmentFundtocreatefoodmanufacturingstep-upspaceatBuilding3.Thegoalofthisprogramistoprovideproductionspacetosmallfoodproducersthatarelookingtoexpandtheirbusinessbutlackthespacetodoso.ThefundingwillbeusedtorenovateBuilding3andtoinstalleightwalkincoolerspaces.TheRFPforBuilding3wasissuedinthesummerof2012andtheEDCiscurrentlyfieldingresponses.
Figure 2: La Marqueta Mile
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III. Literature Review
Retail in the Inner CityPost-warchanges,includingdecliningpopulationsanddisinvestment,createdanewretaillandscape
inAmericancities.Theroleofretailingindowntownareashasgreatlydiminishedsinceitszenithinthe1920s,butitwasnotuntilthe1950sthatlarge-scaledecentralizationofretailactivityoccurredwiththeproliferationoftheautomobileandthegrowthofthesuburbs(Robertson1997.)Aspurchasingpowermovedtothesuburbs,theretaillandscapeandconsumptionpatternsbegantoshift.Theadventofthe“big-box”retailer,offeringgoodsatlowerpricesthanmom-and-pops,isoft-citedasaprincipalimpedimenttoretailactivityincities(ChappleandJacobus2009.)
Scholarshavedebatedsolutionstoreinvestingintheinnercity.MichaelPorter’sseminalwork“TheCompetitiveAdvantageoftheInnerCity”(1995)callsforprivateinvestmentinbusinessandtheleveragingofaregion’scompetitiveadvantagetoreplacesocialinterventionsthatareassociatedwithtypicalgovernmentassistance.SupportersofPorter’stheorycallforabolsteringofprivatebusinesseswithmoreextensivegovernmentintervention(FainsteinandGray1997),andmoreminorityownershipandagency(Butler1997).Opponentscitethefailureoftheprivatesectoringeneraltoprovidegoodsandservicestotheinnercityandcallformorepolicyandcommunity-basedinterventionsasapathwaytoincreaseinvestment.(Dymski1997,SawickiandMoody1997.)
Butwhyiseconomicdevelopmentsodifficultintheinnercity?Evenaspopulationshiftshavedrawnpeopleandinvestmentbacktourbanareas,thehyper-segregated,socalled“inner-city,”hasreceivedlittlebenefit.AccordingtoPorter,innercitiesareunattractivetotheprivatesectorforanumberofreasons.Economicallyunusableland;higherbuildingcosts;higherutilityandothercosts;realandperceivedthreatstosecurity;insufficientordifficultcommercialinfrastructure;loweremployeeskills;lackofmanagementskillsinsmallbusinesses;lackofaccesstodebtandequity;andanti-businessattitudesbythecommunityaremajorchallengespresentedbytheinnercity.Otherscholarsrefertosimilarissuesfacingretaildevelopment,focusingonafewcentralobstaclestodevelopment:perceptionsofcrime;alackofsufficientbusinessdatatojustifyloanunderwriting;thehighcostofdevelopingandoperatingabusinessincities;andtheneedtodepicttheareaasimpoverishedtoreceivefederalsubsidiesandsocialserviceprogramming(Achugbue2006;StewartandMorris2002).
Latino CommunitiesAnotherobstaclefordevelopmentinunderservedandminorityneighborhoodscitedbyPorterand
othersisdiscrimination.TheliteraturesurroundingLatinocommunitiesisfocusedonbothracialdiscriminationandimmigrantdiscrimination,andasaresult,underservedLatinocommunitiesfaceuniquechallenges.AccordingtoValenzuela(2006),Latinosaredisproportionatelyaffectedbyeconomicandlabormarketrestructuring,becausetheyaremorelikelytoparticipateintheinformaleconomyascontingentworkers.Manyjobsavailabletomarginalizedlow-skilledworkersarelessstable,lower-wage,orindecliningindustriesthatrelyonethniclaborers.Becauseoftheirstatusas“contingentworkers”orthe“workingpoor,”theplightoftheLatinointheworkforcehaslargelybeenignoredbylargereconomicdevelopmentinitiatives.Inparticular,Latinoentrepreneurshipisnotrecognized,butratherisseenasaninformal,undergroundeconomy.
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Inordertoaddresslargermacrodiscrimination,Valenzuelarealizestheneedtoincorporatemarginalworkersintothemainstream–butalsotocreateabetterspacefortheminthemarginbythinking“outsideofthebox.”Thistypeofthinkingwouldincludecreatingmoreprogramsspecificallyformarginalor“underthetable”workers,suchasdomesticstaffor“gypsy”cabdrivers.Secondly,Valenzuelasuggestsexpandingemploymentandtrainingopportunitiesformarginalworkers–includingplacing“difficult-to-serve”workers–youngmothers,formercriminaloffenders,etc.-inentrylevelpositionsingrowingindustries,aswellasplacingotherparticipantsinjobsrequiringspecializedskills,experience,andtraining.ThefinalsuggestionforeconomicdevelopmentinLatinocommunitiesistocreatemoretraditionaleconomicdevelopmentstrategies–suchasunionmembershipdrives,supportingstrikes,campaignsforlivingwageordinances,mobilizinglegislativeinitiativesbenefittingimmigrantworkers,exposingharshworkingconditions,andotherwisesupportinginitiativesthatbenefittheworkingpoorandimmigrants.IncorporatingLatinos,andthemarginaleconomyingeneral,intothelargerdiscussionabouteconomicdevelopmentwillbeanimportantcomponentinthelargerdiscussionofsustainabledevelopmentinEastHarlem.
Inadditiontotraditionaleconomicdevelopmentinitiatives,Portermakesseveralsuggestionsforprivatesectorinvolvement.First,bysimplycreatingabusinessintheinnercity,theprivatesectorishelpingmaketheinnercitycompeteonalargerscale.Secondly,establishingrelationshipswithexistinginnercitycompanieswillcreatemutuallybeneficialrelationshipsandagain,helpforcebusinessestobecomecompetitive.Porteralsocallsforinvestmentinbusiness-to-businessefforts,suchastrainingandmanagementassistance,andamorecreativeequityinvestmentplatformtoassistsmallviablebusinessesintheinnercity.SibleyButler(1997)alsocitestheimportanceforlocalresidents,particularlyminorities,todobusinessandownlandintheirownneighborhood–especiallygiventheinnercity’scompetitiveadvantageofbeingneartransportandcommunicationcenters.UsingtheexampleofHunter’sPointinSanFrancisco,apredominatelyAfricanAmericanneighborhood,Butlersays“theblackcommunityofHunter’sPointintheCityofSanFranciscooverlookstheentireBayarea.Thisland,withanestimatedvalueofover$3billion,canbeabonanzaforpeoplewholivethereifitisdeveloped.LandinCleveland,Ohio;NewYorkCity,Washington,D.C.,andPhiladelphiastandsinasimilarlight”(44.)Thesestrategiesallhelptocreatelocalpowerandagencywhereitiseitherlackingorignored,whichisakeytocreatinginvestmentanddevelopmentinunderservedareas.
CarrandServon(2009)suggestadifferenttypeofcompetitiveadvantage–aneighborhoods“vernacularculture.”Afteranalyzingseveraldifferentcasestudies,theauthorsconsiderpublicmarketstobecommunityanchorsinneighborhoodscharacterizedbyvernacularculture.Localpubicmarketsprovide“importantopportunitiesforsmallentrepreneurstomeetcustomers.Thesemarketsoftenattracttouristsaswellasneighborhoodresidentsandbringtogetherdiversepeople”(36.)Inordertosuccessfullybenefitfromthevernacularculture,theauthorssuggestseveralgrassrootsstrategies,includingresidentinvolvement,incorporatinguniquelocalassets,creatingopportunitiesforlocalownership,developingnewstrategies(asopposedtoreplicatingthem,)andstrikingabalancebetweencultureandcommerce.Itisacommunity’suniquenessthatprovidesitscompetitiveedgeanditsabilitytohouseindigenousbusinesses.Assuch,economicdevelopmentstrategiesmustbecateredtospecificallynurturethevernacularcultureofeacharea,lestcitiesbecomeashomogenousasthesuburbs.
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Physical ApproachesInadditiontothemanyapproachesofeconomicdevelopment–attractinginvestmentandfostering
workforcedevelopmentinunderservedareas–therearealsomanytypesofphysicaldevelopmentthatcanmakeretailprojectssucceedorfail.Thedeclineofdowntownretailingisoftencontributedtopopulationshifts,crime,andconvenienceasmajordeterringfactorsfordowntownshopping.Newtypesofretailhavedevelopedinthefaceofthisdecline.Forexample,thesuburbanshoppingmall,firstcreatedin1956,hasbeenrecreatedwithvaryingdegreesofsuccessindowntownareas.Pedestrianmalls,characterizedbyapedestrian-friendlyenvironment–oftentimesexcludingautomobilesaltogether-alsofailedtorejuvenatedowntownretailingbecauseoflittlefoottrafficgenerationandadifficultyinattractinglargerretailersthatwereusedtooperatinginenclosedmalls.FestivalMarketplacesattempttotakeadvantageofhistoricalbuildings,waterfronts,orotherthemesthatareuniquetourbanareas.Thesemarketplacesarefocusedonsmaller,locallyownedshopsandgenerallycatertoayoung,affluentclientele.FestivalMarketsneedastrongregionalpopulationandtouristbase,anddobetterwhentheyareinwalkingdistanceofthedowntowncore.Mixed-usecenterscombineretailwithofficeorothercommercialuses.Thesehavegenerallybeensuccessful,withonecriticismthattheretailingmaytakeawaycredibilityfromotherusesoftheproject(Robertson1997.)
Intheiranalysisofretaildevelopmentasatoolforcommunityrevitalization,ChappleandJacobus(2009)gathereddataonthenumberofretailstoresaddedinseveralneighborhoodsintheSanFranciscoBayAreaandtheirimpactonneighborhoodrevitalization.Findingsfromtheirstudyindicatethatrevitalizationstemmingfromretaildevelopment–seenasanincreaseinsalesandemployment,andmoreretaildevelopment–ismorelikelytooccurinmiddletoupperincomeneighborhoodsthanotherneighborhoodtypes,includinglowerincomeareas.Asaresult,retaildevelopmentinandofitselfisnotasufficientpathwaytorevitalizingcommunities.Ifanything,retaildevelopmentaffectstheperceptionoftheneighborhood,whichcouldthenleadtoachangeintheneighborhoodvianewresidentialcomposition.Thechallenge,then,istocreateretaildevelopmentstrategiesthatwillserveandbenefitlow-incomecommunitieswithoutdisplacingresidents.
Public MarketsAlongwiththechallengeofdisplacementandnegativeperceptions,marketsthemselvespresenta
uniqueproblemforretailplanningscholarsbecauseoftheircomplexityandtheirmanyformsandfunctions.Morales(2011)definesmarketswithinthepolitical,economic,social,andhealthspheres.Politically,marketsbenefitpubliclifebyexpandingpeople’sexposuretooneanother.Theyaregovernedbyorganizationalorcitylaws,butalsothetacitknowledgeofmerchantsandcustomers.Economically,marketsaresignificantsourcesofretailtradeandactivity,andhaveonlyincreasedinpopularity.Forexample,Farmer’sMarketsalesreached$1.2Billionin2007from$500Millionin1997.Othereconomicconsiderationsaretheemployment,businessexpansion,andintegrationwithlargerbusinessenvironmentthatmarketsprovidetolocaleconomies.Sociologically,Moralesdefinesmarketsas“tools”tobringtogetherpeople,activities,andspaces.Inparticular,marketsofferopportunitytobridgeethnicgroups.Marketscanalsocreatehealthandfoodconnectionsbynotonlyofferinghealthyfood,butbyservingasacommunitysymbolforlocallygrown,environmentallyfriendlyfood.ThisisparticularlyseeninFarmer’sMarketsthatemphasizeurbanhealthandfoodaccessequity.
Becauseoftheirvaryingphysicalandeconomicforms,marketscanhavemanyeffects.Ingeneral,
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however,marketsareseenascommunityintegrators,bothethnicallyandeconomically.Morerecently,marketsareviewedassymbolsofwellness,capableofimprovingthehealthofmarginalizedpopulations(Morales2011.)Nevertheless,thereisnosinglesolutionforrevitalizingmarketsorusingthemastoolsforcommunityandeconomicdevelopment.Therearegapsintheresearchastotheeconomicimpactofmarkets–theireffectonpropertyvaluesandsmallbusinesscreationandincubation,forexample.Inordertounderstandtheeconomicimpactofamarketwithinabroadercommunity,moreresearchmustbedoneattheground level.
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IV. Research Methodology
TheresearchdesignwillbefocusedbothonneighborhoodretailsupplyanddemandfundamentalsaswellasissuesspecifictothefeasibilityofLaMarquetaasasuccessfulmarket,previouslydefinedasfosteringprofitableandself-sustainingbusinessesandpromotinganincreaseinfoottrafficandoverallmarketsales.Thisstudywillfirstincludeademographicandneighborhoodanalysis,andthenacomparativeanalysisofmodelsofmarketstructureandownership,lookingatLaMarquetacomparedwithothermarketswithsimilarcharacteristics.TheseincludeElMercadoCentralinMinneapolis;ArthurAvenueMarketintheBronx,NewYork,knownasanItalianethnicmarketbasedinalowerincomearea;andtheEssexStreetMarketinLowerManhattan.SimilartoLaMarqueta,EssexStreetMarketisalsodirectlymanagedandoperatedbytheNYCEDC.
Neighborhood Analysis: InordertoassessthecurrentretailclimateinEastHarlem,Iconductasocio-demographicanalysisofEastHarlembetween2000and2010usingCensusdata.Specificvariablestobeanalyzedincluderaceandethnicity,countryoforigin,age,income,poverty,andemploymenttotrackboththecurrentneighborhooddynamicsandchangingtrendsduringthepasttenyears.ThesewillbeanalyzedattheCensusTractLevel–whichinclude12CensusTractswithinonehalfmileofLaMarqueta.TheselectedtractsareborderedbyMalcolmXBoulevardtotheWest,1stAvenuetotheEast,110thStreettotheSouth,and126thStreettotheNorth.LaMarqueta,on115thStreetandParkAvenue,islocatedontheborderofTract182and184,inthecenterofthisclusterofCensusTracts.ThesetractswerechosenfortheirdistancefromLaMarquetaandfortheirdesignationaspartofthe“EastHarlem”neighborhood(nothingwaschosenWestofMalcolmXBoulevardforthisreason.)PresentdaybusinessdatawillcomefromReferenceUSAwithin0.5milesofLaMarqueta.BusinesseswillbeanalyzedbasedonNAICScodeandsalesvolume.
Comparative Analysis: InordertoassesstheperformanceofLaMarquetaitself,Iwillcompareitsstructureandmanagementtoseveralothermarketsacrossthecountrywithsimilarcharacteristics.ThesemarketsareElMercadoCentralinMinneapolis,ArthurAvenueMarketintheBronx,andtheEssexStreetMarketontheLowerEastSideinManhattan.Thegoalofthisanalysiswillbetocompareleasing,tenanting,rents,andgeneralmarketstructureandincomeacrossmarkets.Thiswasgatheredthroughqualitativeinterviewswithmarketmanagers.Interviewquestionsincluded:
1. Describethemarket’sownershipstructure2. Describethemarket’srelationshipwiththesurroundingcommunity3. Dopeopleshopherefromoutsideoftheneighborhood?4. How many tenants/vendors are in your market5. Howaretenantsselected?6. Whatisthepricepersquarefoot/askingrentalrateformarketstalls?7. Whatarethepermitting/leasingterms?8. Howdoyoudefinesuccessforyourmarket?9. Isthereaprocessforstrategicplanning/eventsatthemarket?Ifyes,whoisinvolvedandwhatis
theprocess?10. Whathasbeenyourbiggestsuccessstory,andwhathasbeenyourbiggestchallengeduringthe
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pastfiveyears?IalsointerviewedcurrentmerchantsatLaMarquetaandEDCmanagementstafftobetterunderstand
thehistoryandcurrentconditionsofLaMarqueta.ThegoalofthisistoanalyzethehistoricalfailuresandchallengesfacingLaMarquetaandcurrentprogramminginplacethatistryingtomeetthesechallenges.SampleInterviewquestionsincluded:
For Merchants1. HowoldisyourbusinessandhowlonghaveyoubeenamerchantinLaMarqueta?2. WhydidyoudecidetolocateinLaMarqueta?3. Whatchangeshaveyouseensinceyou’vebeeninLaMarqueta?4. WhatwouldyouliketoseechangeinLaMarquetamovingforward?5. Canyoudescribeanyeventsthatweremajorsuccessesormajorfailures?6. Whatisyourmainproduct/business?7. Whoisyourtargetcustomer?8. Howmanyemployeesdoyouhave?9. Isyourbusinessprofitable?Whatareyourmonthlysales?Overheadcosts?10. Whatchangestoyourbusinesswouldyouliketoaccomplishandwhatresourceswouldyouneed?11. WhatisyourrelationshipworkingwiththeCity?
For EDC Staff1. WhatarethechallengesofManagementatLaMarqueta?2. Whathavebeensomesuccesses/failuresfromanEDCperspectiveatLaMarqueta?3. WhatisthefutureoutlookforLaMarqueta?DoesEDChaveanylong-termplans?4. Describetherelationshipbetweennewversusoldtenants?5. WhatothercityagenciesareworkinginEastHarlem/LaMarqueta?Areyouworkingwiththemon
strategicplanning?
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°0 0.25 0.50.125Mile
200
198
196
194190
184182
188186
174.02
172 180
3rd
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ue1s
t Ave
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Fih
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E. 119th Street
E. 126th Street
E. 115th StreetE. 112th Street
Park
Ave
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V. Analysis
Chapter I – Neighborhood and Retail Analysis TwelveCensusTractswereanalyzedintheEastHarlemneighborhood,includingTract172,174.02,180,182,184,186,188,190,194,196,198,and200.TheneighborhoodrangesfromMalcolmXBoulevardtotheWest,1stAvenuetotheEast,110th StreettotheSouth,and126thStreettotheNorth.LaMarquetaison115thStreetandParkAvenue,ontheborderofTract182and184,andapproximatelyinthecenterofthisclusterofCensusTracts.TheradiusofthesetractsisapproximatelyonehalfmileoneithersideofLaMarqueta.ThesetractswerechosenfortheirdistancefromLaMarquetaandfortheirdesignationas“EastHarlem”(nothingwaschosenWestofMalcolmXBoulevardforthisreason.)
Population, Race, and AgeTheEastHarlemareaanalyzedislocatedin
CommunityBoard11,denotedbytheDepartmentofCityPlanningasPUMA03804.ThetotalpopulationofPUMA03804areawas122,920peopleasof2010.ThepopulationofthecombinedtwelveCensusTractswas59,452peoplein2010,representingabout3.7%ofNewYorkCounty’stotalpopulationand48.3%oftheCommunityBoardarea’spopulation.Thisrepresentsapopulationincreaseofabout6.5%from2000.Bycomparison,NewYorkCountygrewby3.2%andtheNewYorkMSAgrewbynearly33%duringthesameperiod. ThelargestgainsweremadeinTract190,184,and172.01,and198,whichallsawdouble-digitpercentagegains.ThesetractsareprimarilyconcentratedinthewesternsectionofEastHarlem.Conversely,thetractsthatshrunkareontheeasternedgeofthecluster.
Intermsofage,thepopulationintheEastHarlemclusterskewsslightlyyoungerthanboththeMSAandtheCityasawhole.Asof2010,nearly67%ofthepopulationintheEastHarlemclusterwasyoungerthan44years,comparedwithabout61%fortheNewYorkMSAand62.5%forNewYorkCounty.ForEastHarlem,thisrepresentsadropfrom2000,whenslightlymorethan71%ofthepopulationfellintothisagebracket.
-‐20.0%
-‐10.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
Census Tract 172.01
Census Tract 174.02
Census Tract 180
Census Tract 182
Census Tract 184
Census Tract 186
Census Tract 188
Census Tract 190
Census Tract 194
Census Tract 196
Census Tract 198
Census Tract 200
TOTAL
New York MSA
New York County
Popula'on Growth 2000-‐2010
Figure 3: Census Tract Locater Map
Figure 4:
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8.4%
34.3%
0.2%3.9%
0.0%0.3%
1.5%2.5%
40.2%
0.1% 0.8% 0.0% 0.1%2.4%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
Whitealone
Black orAfrican
Americanalone
AmericanIndian
andAlaskaNativealone
Asianalone
NativeHawaiianandOtherPacific
Islanderalone
SomeOtherRacealone
Two orMoreRaces
Non Hispanic Population
2010
2000
17.0%
6.2%
0.9% 0.2%0.1%
23.2%
3.7%
17.4%
5.3%0.9%
0.1% 0.0%
26.8%
3.5%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
Whitealone
Black orAfrican
Americanalone
AmericanIndian
andAlaskaNativealone
Asianalone
NativeHawaiianandOtherPacific
Islanderalone
SomeOtherRacealone
Two orMoreRaces
Hispanic Population
2010
2000
Notably,thelargestpercentagegainsinEastHarlemweremadeintheyoungercohorts(lessthan25years),suggestingperhapsahigherbirthrateandnaturalaginginsteadofin-migration.Interestingly,theagebracketof25-44yearoldsincreasedslightlyfromabout41%to43%from2000to2010inEastHarlem.At43%,theproportionofpeopleinthisagebracketnearlymatchestheproportionseeninNewYorkMSA.
Asof2010,theEastHarlempopulationwas51.3%HispanicorLatinoand48.7%Non-Hispanic.ThismatchespercentagesintheCommunityBoardarea,whichwas49.8%HispanicorLatino.IntheCensusTractcluster,thenon-Hispanicpopulationwas8.4%white,34.3%Black,and3.9%Asian.Comparedto2000,thisrepresentssignificantgrowth–nearly259%-inthenon-Hispanicwhitepopulation,from1,397to5,014people.Duringthesametimeperiod,thenon-Hispanicblackpopulationcontractedbyalmost9%.ThismirrorsthetrendintheNewYorkMSA,whichsawincreasesinthewhitepopulation–fromabout40%to44%-anddeclinesintheblackpopulation–from22.6%to18.3%,duringthesameperiod.InNewYorkCounty,theHispanicorLatinopopulationmadeup25.4%ofthetotalpopulationin2010.Whitesaccountedfor48%,Blackswere12.9%,andAsianswere11.2%.Thesenumbersroughlymatchtheporportionsfrom2000-withslightgainsintheWhiteandAsianpopulations,andslightdeclinesinthepercentageofBlacksandHispanics.
TheHispanicandLatinopopulationmakesup51.3%,orslightlymorethan30,000people,oftheEastHarlempopulation,comparedwith53.9%,or29,970peoplein2000.TheracialbreakdownofHispanicsandLatinosalsoremainedrelativelyconsistentbetween2000and2010,withthemajorityofHispanicsandLatinosidentifyingas“Someotherracealone”or“White.”ComparedtotheNewYorkMSAandCounty,theEastHarlemCensusTractshaveahigherproportionofHispanicsandLatinos.In2010,HispanicsandLatinosmadeupapproximately24.6%,orslightlymorethan3millionpeople,oftheMSA’spopulation,comparedwith2.3millionpeoplein2000.FortheCounty,Hispanicsmadeup25.4%ofthepopulation,orapproximately404,000people,comparedwith418,000in2000.Therefore,growthoftheHispanicandLatinopopulationisoccurringatagreaterscaleintheNewYorkMSAasawholethaninEastHarlem,butgrowthinEastHarlemisoutpacinggrowthoftheCity’sHispanicpopulation.Theseresultsarenotaltogethersurprising.WithintheCity,growthisoccuringintheestablishedHispanicenclaveofEastHarlem,butthisgrowthisnotasstrongcomparedwiththeexpansionoftheHispanicandLatinopopulationtootherareasintheregion.
ComparedtoNewYorkMSAasawhole,theEastHarlemCensusTractshaveahigherpercentageof
Figure 5: Figure 6:
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foreign-bornpeople.InthecombinedCensusTracts,theforeign-bornpopulationtotaled15,269people,orapproximately25.6%ofthelocalpopulation.Thisrepresentsanincreaseof23.5%intheforeign-bornpopulationfrom2000.IntheNewYorkMSA,theforeign-bornpopulationincreased19.8%duringthesameperiod.Asof2010,theforeign-bornpopulationwasslightlymorethan3.7millionpeopleintheMSA,roughly30%oftheoverallpopulation,comparedtotheCounty,wheretheforeign-bornpopulationmadeup28.6%ofthepopulation.Themajorityoftheforeign-bornpopulationintheEastHarlemCensusTractswasbornintheAmericas-representingabout74%ofallforeign-bornmigrantsintheneighborhood.Ofthesemigrants,about29%areCaribbeanand38%areCentralAmerican.Eachofthesegroupsrepresentsabout5,000people.ThesecondlargestimmigrantgroupcomesfromAsia.Asiansmakeup13.5%oftheforeignbornpopulationinEastHarlem.Bycomparison,intheNewYorkMSA,Asiansmakeupabout26%oftheforeignbornpopulation,whileimmigrantsfromtheAmericasrepresentabout53%oftheforeignbornpopulation.
Income and EducationThemedianincomeintheEastHarlemCensusTractsissignificantlylowerwhencomparedwithboth
theMetroareaandtheCity.Asof2010,themedianincomeoftheEastHarlemCensusTractswas$25,909,comparedwith$60,169intheNewYorkMSAand$58,269inNewYorkCounty.Nevertheless,incomesincreased63.7%inEastHarlembetween2000and2010,comparedwithajumpof46.6%intheNewYorkMSAand23.9%inNewYorkCounty.Infact,onlyoneCensusTract,Tract174.02,sawthemedianincomecontract. Asaresultoftheincreaseinincome,rentsarealsoontherise.ThemediangrossrentintheEastHarlemCensusTractswas$597asof2010,a51.5%increasefrom2000,whenitwas$394.Nevertheless,thisissignificantlylessexpensivethanrentsintheNewYorkMSA.Asof2010,mediangrossrentsinNewYorkMSAwere$1,103andwere$1,234inNewYorkCounty.Asapercentageofincome,thisrentincreasehasonlyhadaslightimpact.Asof2010,mediangrossrentsmadeup28.6%ofincomes,comparedwith27.4%in2000.IntheNewYorkMSA,rentsmakeup31.0%ofincomesin2010,andinNewYorkCounty,27.7%.AlthoughincomesaremuchlowerinEastHarlem,thecostoflivingisalsosignificantlylowerwhencomparedwiththeMSAandCity. TheeducationalattainmentoftheEastHarlemCensusTractsisalsolowerthanthatoftheNewYorkMSA.Forthepopulation25yearsandolder,only13.5%ofthepopulationhasaBachelor’sdegree,comparedwith20.1%ofthepopulationintheNewYorkMSAand29.8%inNewYorkCounty.Similarly,36.2%ofthepopulationhaslessthanahighschoolleveleducation,comparedwithonly17.6%intheNewYorkMSAand15.3%inNewYorkCounty.LoweducationalattainmentlevelsarelikelyattributabletothehigherlevelofimmigrationaswellashigherpovertylevelsintheEastHarlemneighborhoodcomparedwithNewYorkmetroareaandCity.Alongwithloweducationalattainmentcomeshigherunemploymentlevels.Ofthepopulation16yearsandover,54.6%inEastHarlemareinthelaborforce,withabout7.2%ofthesebeingunemployed.Bycomparison,inNewYorkMSA64%areinthelaborforce,ofwhichonly5.0%areunemployed.InNewYorkCounty,67.3%areinthelaborforce,and7.9%areunemployed.ThereisalsoasignificantpopulationinEastHarlemthatisnotinthelaborforce–45.4%,comparedwithonly36%intheNewYorkMSA.
Shopping BehaviorAlthoughitisdifficulttogeneralizeshoppingbehavioramongpopulationssplitoutbyraceorethnicity,
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thereareseveralstudiesthathaveattemptedtodoso.Accordingtoa2011reportbyPackagedFacts,HispanicsintheU.S.representabuyingpowerof$1trillion,andHispanicsareanincreasinglyimportantconsumerintherecoveringeconomy.Althoughoverallconsumerspendingdeclinedduringtherecession,spendingbyHispanicconsumersincreased.ThisgrowingoptimismintheAmericaneconomyfeltbyHispanicsislikelytoincreaseasmoreHispanicimmigrantsbecomeacculturatedintheU.S.(PackagedFacts,2011.)
AnotherstudybytheIntegerGroupandM/A/R/CResearchfoundthatHispanicsgenerallyshowahigherprioritytoward“familysatisfaction”and“one-stopshopping,”withlessemphasison“savingmoney”duringholidayorbacktoschoolseasons.However,duringregularshoppingtripsHispanicsaremorevalue-driventhanthegeneralmarket,althoughlesslikelytouseinstoremessagingandcouponingthannon-Hispanics.TypicalbrandingdoesnotnecessarilyreachtheHispanicshopperaswellastheoverallconsumer,makingthemlesssusceptibletoin-storemarketing.Similarly,Hispanicsperceivelessdifferenceinprivateandbrandnameproductscomparedwithgeneric,althoughtherehasbeenanincreaseinbrandloyaltyseenamongstHispanicshoppersasacculturationhasincreased.Accordingtothereport,“Brandsmustbedeep-rootedinthemoremeaningfulinsightsthatdistinguishHispaniccommunicationfromgeneralmarketcommunication,especiallyduringkeyshoppingevents.”(IntegerGroup,2010.)
ThesestudieswouldsuggestthatHispanicshoppersarebecominglessdependenton“value”shoppingandmoreinterestedinpurchasingbrandnamegoods.AlthoughtheirbrandloyaltystillexistswithLatinospecificproducts,therearesignsthatthispatternmaybeshiftingtowardnon-Latinoproductsaswell.ThegeneralacculturationoftheHispanicshopperwillmeanthattheywillbemoresusceptibletogeneralmarketingandtheiroverallbrandloyaltyandspendingwillincrease.
Existing Retail UsingdatafromReferenceUSA,retailestablishments,basedonthebasicNAICSCodes44-45forRetail
TradeandCode72forAccommodationandFoodServices,weretrackedwithinahalf-mileradiusofLaMarquetaasof2012.Withintheseumbrellacodes,thefollowingNAICSCodeswerechosenbasedontheircompetitivenesswithproductsthatareofferedoutofLaMarqueta.ThenumberofbusinessesbasedonNAICScodecanbeviewedatleft.
Type Number Percentage
311611– AnimalSlaughtering 2 0.47%
311811– Retail Bakeries 1 0.24%
424420– PackagedFrozenFoodMerchantWholesaler 1 0.24%
445110– Supermarkets/OtherGrocery 66 15.57%
445120– ConvenienceStores 4 0.94%
445210– Meat Markets 12 2.83%
445220– Fish&SeafoodMarkets 7 1.65%
445230– Fruit&VegetableMarkets 8 1.89%
445292– Confectionary&NutStores 4 0.94%
445299– GourmetStores 4 0.94%
446191– Food(Health)SupplementStores 3 0.71%
722310– FoodServiceContractors 10 2.36%
722320– Caterers 11 2.59%
722511– Full-ServiceRestaurants 247 58.25%
722513– LimitedServiceRestaurants 29 6.84%
722515– Snacks&Non-Alcoholic Beverage Bars 15 3.54%
TOTAL 424 100.00%
Figure 7: Retail by Type
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WithinonehalfmileofLaMarqueta,thereareatotalnumberof424competingbusinesses.BusinesseswithinthetwooriginalNAICSsubheaders–RetailTradeandAccommodationandFoodServices–weredefinedascompetitiveiftheyhadafactorincommonwithLaMarqueta.Thisincludedanyspecialtyfoodstore,groceryorconveniencestore,orestablishmentservingfoodforon-siteconsumption.ThereareahighconcentrationofGroceryStores(66),Full-ServiceRestaurants(247),andLimitedServiceRestaurants(29).Outof424totalbusinesses,thesebusinessesrepresentaproportionofroughly15%,58%,and7%,respectively,foratotalsumofabout80%.TheremainingbusinesstypeswithasignificantconcentrationareSnacks&Non-AlcoholicBeverageBars,Caterers,FoodServiceContractors,Fruit&VegetableMarkets,Fish&SeafoodMarkets,andMeatMarkets.Interestingly,HotBreadKitchen,whichislocatedinsideofLaMarqueta,istheonlyretailbakery.TherealsoseemstobealowernumberofConvenienceStoresthanonewouldexpectcomparedwiththeSupermarkets/OtherGrocerycategories.BecausestoreownersdeterminetheirownNAICScategories,thisclassificationcanbesomewhatmisleading.Infact,atcloserinspection,manyoftheseGrocerystoresarequitesmallinsize–withthemajorityemployingonly1-4peopleandsmallerthan2,500squarefeetinsize.Thereareonlyafewconventionalsupermarketswithmorethantenemployees.AssociatedSupermarketat125East116thStreet,MetFoodSupermarket235East106thStreet,AssociatedSupermarketon2212 3rdAvenue#1,andtwoFineFareSupermarketsat1718MadisonAvenueandon37MalcolmXBoulevard.Therefore,itwouldseemthatmanyofthestoresintheGrocerystorecategorymayappeartobemorelikeConvenienceStores,withasmallfootprintandfewemployees. OtherbusinesstypesthatcompetedirectlywithLaMarquetaarethespecialtystores,includingMeat,Fish&Seafood,andFruit&VegetableMarkets.Combined,thesestoresmakeupslightlylessthan5%ofthetotalcompetitivebusinesses.Nevertheless,thecompetitionfromthesestoresisimportantbecausetheycompetemoredirectlywithLaMarqueta.Asopposedtoatypicalgrocerystore,shoppersgooutoftheirwaytogotoabutcheroraproducemarket.IftheyshoppedatLaMarqueta,theywouldalsobe,inasense,goingoutoftheirway,andmakingaconsciousdecisiontoseekoutspecialtyitemsnotavailableatatypicalgrocerystore.LaMarqueta,infact,hasvendorsspecializinginproduce,Meat,andcertaintypesoffish(bacalao.)Ifthereisdemandintheneighborhoodforthesespecialtyitems,thevendorsatLaMarquetaarenotgainingfromit.
AnotherinterestingbusinesssectorthatcompeteswithLaMarquetaisLimitedServiceRestaurants,comprisedofDelis,andSnacksandNon-AlcoholicBeverageBars,whichrepresenttypicallylowerendcoffeeandteashopsandothersmallspecialtyitemstore.Infact,manyoftheseareDunkinDonuts/Baskin-Robbinshybridstores.Althoughthesearelow-end,theyrepresentsomeofthefewpreparedfoodretailingthatexistsinEastHarlem,whichcompeteswiththingslikesandwiches,breakfastbreads,pastries,anddesertitemsthatyoucanfindatLaMarqueta.ThetotalcombinednumberofLimitedServiceRestaurantsandDelis,SnacksandNon-AlcoholicBeveragebarsis44stores,with15ofthesesbeingtheSnackandNon-AlcoholicBeverageBars.ComparedtoGroceryStoresandfull-servicerestaurants,thereisasignificantlylowerconcentrationofstoresservinggrabandgoandpreparedfoods.
Market GapsTherearemanyfactorsatplaywhenlookingatLaMarquetaandthesurroundingpopulationandretail.
First,withinahalfmilethereisahighproportionofgroceryandconveniencestores.Thereareevenseveral
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specialtystoressellingmeatandfreshproduce.AllofthesedirectlycompetewiththevendorsatLaMarqueta.Inparticular,theycompetewiththeproduce,Meat,andFishstores,andlesswithpreparedfoods.Whiletherearemanystoresservingpreparedfoods,indelisandlikelyintheconveniencestoresaswell,thesearelimitedcasualdiningorgrabandgoestablishments.ThisgapinthemarketcouldbecapturedbyLaMarquetaasaneighborhoodlunchspotorfooddestination.
Somechallengesremaininthisscenario,however.First,Hispanicsareparticularlyvaluedriven,andincreasinglybranddriven,whichmaygearthemmoretowardeitherinexpensivepreparedfoodsorchainandfast-foodrestaurantretailing.Itisunlikelythathigh-endartisanalbreads,sandwiches,anddesertswillfindamarketintheEastHarlemcommunityasitistoday.Moreover,theconvenienceofonestopshoppingatgrocerystoresmeansthattomakeasecondstoptobuyspecialtyitemsislesslikely,especiallygiventhatmanyspecialtyshopsalreadyexistintheneighborhood.Therefore,itwouldseemthatpreparedfood,asopposedtospecialtygroceryitems,iswheretheremaybeamarketgapinEastHarlem.Vendorsneedtobeverysensitivetopricepoints,however,andattempttomarkettheirproductsasless“artisanal”andperhapsevenmoremainstreaminordertogaintheloyaltyofconsumersintheneighborhood.AlthoughtheemphasisonLatincultureisimportanttothemarket,vendorsneedtofindanauthenticwaytoincorporatethiswhilealsocapturingaHispanicmarketthatisincreasinglyacculturatingtogeneralconsumertrendsandbehavior.
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Chapter II – Market Analysis
La Marqueta Layout AsLaMarquetaexiststoday,thereare8tenantsoccupyingstalls:HotBreadAlmacen,W.E.Meats,VivaProduce,MamaGrace’sAfro-CaribbeanFood,NordicPreserves,Buerre&Sel,VelezGrocery,andBreezyHillFarmandOrchards.There are currently 2 vacant stalls. Hot Bread Kitchenoccupiesaproductionspaceinthebackofthemarket,butisnotaccessibletomarketshoppers.Additionally,theUrbanGardenCenterispartofLaMarquetabutislocatedon116th and ParkAvenue,outsideofthemarketparameters.Itisthereforenotincludedinthisstudy.Stallsizesinthemarketaresmall,measuringabouttenbyfifteenfeet.Thetwovendorsinthefront,HotBreadAlmacenandBreezyHillFarm,providelimitedseatingaroundtheirstalls(picturesatright.)RentsatLaMarquetaare$30persquarefoot,witha$5CommonAreaMaintenance(CAM)chargethatincludescleaning,security,andotheradministrativecosts. La Marqueta is located underneath the MetroNorthrailroadonParkAvenue,withonlyonemainentranceon115thstreet.OnthesidesofLaMarquetaareseveralmurals,although
La Marqueta-Retail Market - Building #4
OFFICE
FREEZERwalk-in cooler
1A 1B 1C
12 13
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 MANAGER'SHANDYMAN'SOFFICE
32 33 34 35 37 38
4
15 16 17 18
5 6 7
19
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walk-in cooler
walk-in cooler24
115 thStr eet
Park Avenue
Park Avenue
Storage 00ElectricalRoom Restroom
Janitor's Cl.
Restroom
36
8
GarbageRoom
Figure 10: La Marqueta Building 4 Interior Plan
Figures 8 & 9: Interior Seating Facing 115th Street
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pedestriansarenotabletoseeinsidethemarket.
Vendor InterviewsVendorsatLaMarquetawereinterviewedonaSaturdaymorninginFebruaryaround11AM.The
goaloftheinterviewswastobetterunderstandthetypeofbusinessthatexistsatLaMarquetaandtobetterunderstandthevendors’pointofviewonhowthemarketcanimprove,bothfromamanagementandsalesperspective.Unfortunately,manyvendorswerenotinthemarkettobeinterviewedinperson,soseveralinterviewswereconductedthroughe-mailcorrespondence.Notallvendorswerereachedforcorrespondence.
Store AgeStoresrangeinagefromlessthanoneyearatLaMarquetatomorethanfortyyearsinthemarket.
Somestoresthathavebeenthereforlongerhavechangedtheirimageorownership,althoughthenameremainsthesame.Fromobservation,storeageisagoodindicatorofwillingnesstoadaptandchangetonewneighborhooddemographics.Forexample,VelezGroceryhasbeeninLaMarquetafor40years–and20yearsinthecurrentbuilding.Thebusinesscontinuestosellwhatitsold40yearsago–codfishorbacalao-andhasseenasignificantdropinsales.OwnerAureliaVelezisresistant,ifnotindifferenttochange.Whenaskedwhatshewouldliketochangeaboutthemarket,sherepliedthatshewantedittogobacktothewayitwas.
Thenewerstores,ontheotherhand,tendtoembraceandtrytocapitalizeonthechange.BreezyHillFarm,forexample,sellsmanyfarm-to-tableitems.Buerre&SelandHotBreadKitchensellartisanalbreadsandcookies,withsomeglutenfreeoptions.Thenewervendorsareattemptingtocapitalizeoffofperceivedgentrificationoftheareaaswellasshiftingtastesandshoppingtrendsingeneral.
Why La Marqueta?VendorschoosetolocateinLaMarquetaforavarietyofreasons.Forthe“legacy”vendors,many
havebeeninLaMarquetaformorethan20years,soitisamatterofhistoryandtradition.OtherschoseLaMarquetabecauseofitslowpricetag,ofabout$35persquarefootcomparedwithhigherretailpriceselsewhere.Some,likeBuerre&SelandNordicPreserves,followedanEDCrulesayingthattoopenintheEssexStreetmarkettheyalsoneededtohaveaspaceinLaMarqueta.HotBreadKitchenwonapublicRFPfromthecityafewyearsagoandonlyrecentlywasrequiredbytheEDCtoputaretailstallinthemarket.Themajority,therefore,didnotnecessarilymakeaconsciousdecisiontolocateinLaMarqueta,whichmayhaveanimpactonthevendors’dedicationtothemarket’ssuccess.
Recent ChangesChangesatLaMarquetaaredescribedbyJohnColonofBreezyHillasgoingata“snail’space.”Hecites
theadditionofHotBreadKitchenasamajorsignofprogressthathasbeguntobringsomefoottrafficbackintothemarket.Nevertheless,hisperceptionwasthatallthevendorswerestruggling.AureliaVelez,whohasbeeninthemarketfortwentyyears,seesonlynegativechanges:Lesspeople,lessvendors,andlessvarietyinthetypesofgoodsbeingoffered.Abouttwentyyearsago,therewasasit-downfullservicerestaurantineachofthebuildingsinLaMarqueta.Inheropinion,thisvarietywasamajordriverthatbroughtpeopleintothemarket.JoshGreenspanofBuerre&Selalsodiscussedthatthechangeshehasseeninhis7monthsatLa
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Marquetaareminimal.“They’veaddedthesideaccessdoorandanalarmsystemfor24houraccess.Otherthanthat,therehavebeennoothernewvendors(exceptforNordicPreserveswhoarenotopenyet),nomarketing,andverylittletraffic”(personalcommunication,March26,2013.)
Desired ChangesVendorswouldliketoseemanydifferentchangeshappenatthemarket,someconflictingwith
others.Somevendorsaresimplynostalgicforthemarket’spast,whenitwasteemingwithpeopleandacentralLatinshoppingdestination.Otherswouldjustliketoseemorefoottrafficinthemarket,regardlessofwhereitcomesfrom.Somefindthattheirideashavefallenondeafears.Forexample,JohnColonwantedtoincorporateahistorical/museumsectioninthemarkettocapturesomeoftheolderresidentsintheneighborhood,buthisideawasnotwellreceived.JoshGreenspanlistedseveralchangesthathewouldliketosee,includingextendedmarkethours,abetterlookingmarket,tenantstofillthevacantstallsandmorediversity in what is being sold.
Target Customer & Price Point
SomeoftheestablishedbusinessesinLaMarquetahavealoyal,ifnotsmall,customerbasethathasbeencomingtothemarketforyears.AtVelezGrocery,theprimarypatronsareHaitiansbuyingbacalao.Similarly,GraceProspinasatMamaGrace’sAfro-CaribbeanCuisineservesmostlyCaribbeanclientele.Thenewervendorshavealessestablishedcustomerbase.HotBreadKitchenreceivesmostofthewalkinfoottrafficforcoffeeandbreakfastitems.BreezyHillOrchardisstilltryingtodeterminewhoitstargetcustomerandwhatitstargetpricepointis,sellingitemsonboththehighandlowend.Buerre&Sel,ontheotherhand,
Figure 11: Viva Produce, Legacy Vendorsellscookiesonthehigherend,and,asanestablishedbusinessonlineandintheEssexStreetMarket,servesmanyshopperswhocomefromoutsideoftheneighborhood.
Profit, Sales, and OverheadMany businesses in La Marqueta are not making
money,despitelowoverheadcostsandfew,ifany,employeesbesidestheowner.Infact,severalvendorshaveoutsidebusinessesthatfinanciallysupporttheirstallatLaMarqueta.WilliamEspinal,ownerofW.E.Meats,sellsmeatwholesaleontheside,andspendsthemajorityofhistimemakingdeliveriestorestaurantsandotherwholesalebuyers.JohnColonatBreezyHillreliesoncateringandasidebusiness,LaBodegaGourmet,tohelpsupporttheoperationsatLaMarqueta.ElizabethRyan,co-ownerofBreezyHillOrchard,alsorunsafarmupstatewhichhelpssupporttheoperationsatLa
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Marqueta.JoshGreenspandoesabout$500insalespermonth,whichisnotenoughtocoverhisoverheadcosts,whichinclude$650inrent,employeesalaries,andotherexpenses.
Relationship with the CityTherelationshipwiththeCityisamicable,ifnotabitfrustratingforboththeCityandthevendors.VendorscomplainthattheEDC’sresponseistooslow,whiletheEDCcomplainsthatvendorsarenotcommittedenoughtotheirbusiness,forexamplenotopeningupontimeorleavingearly.Ingeneral,however,bothpartiesunderstandthatthemarketisinadifficultposition,andhavebeenworkingtogetherincreasinglywellto
helppushthemarketforward.OnesuchpushwasprogrammingthemarketduringtheFallandWinter,creatingHarvestandHolidayeventsthathelpedbringfoottraffictothemarketandhelpedvendorsbecome more invested in La Marqueta.
Market Appearance Thereareseveralphysicalfactorsaboutthemarketthatmakeitdifficulttonavigate.First,because the market is located underneath the MetroNorthrailroad,theentranceisdifficulttofind.Whenthetrainspassoverthemarket,itisextremelyloudandunpleasantforbothvendorsandcustomers.Thelong,windowlessstripdownParkAvenueaddsabitofmysterytothemarket.Despitethesignage,itisnotdiscernibleasamarketuntiltheentranceon115thisseen.Apasserbyinacaroronfootmightneverknowthatthemarketwaseventhere.Inadditiontothestrangepositionunderneaththerailroad,themarket’sinteriorlayoutisalsosomewhatodd.Althoughthefrontofthemarketcanaccommodateseating,themarketthensplitsoffintotwosmallcolumns,whichdonotallowthecostumeragoodviewofwhatisahead.Inadditiontothis,thevacantstalls,oroccupiedstallsthataresimplyclosed,givethemarketabarrenfeeling.Shopperslikeafeelingoflivelihood,andtobeabletoseeandunderstandtheirsurroundings.ItisdifficulttoenticeapotentialcustomerintoLaMarquetaifnotonlycantheynotseeanyshoppersandseeclosedstalls,butalsoiftheycannotevenseewhatisaheadofthemdownahallway.ThelayoutisanothermajorchallengeofLaMarqueta.
Figures 12 & 13: Vacant Stalls
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Challenges Thechallengesforthemarketaremany.First,thereisahugedisparitybetween“legacy”vendorsandnewvendors,inbothprice,marketing,andappearance.Whilelegacyvendorswanttorelyontheirexisting,specialtyclientele,newervendorsaresellingitemsathigherpricepointsandattemptingtocapitalizeoffofchangingconsumerpatternsaswellaschangingneighborhooddemographics.Similarly,becausefoottrafficinthemarketissolow,somevendorsareforcedtohaveoutsidebusinessesbesidestheirstallsinLaMarqueta.TheseoutsidebusinessesstealfocusawayfromLaMarquetaitself,whichsometimesmeansthattheirstallswillbeclosedduringtypicalshoppinghours,suchasweekends.Unfortunately,whenonebusinessisclosedduringbusinesshours,ithurtsthewholeappearanceofthemarket.Thechallengeofthemarket’sphysicalbarriersmeansthatthemarketingofLaMarquetaneedstobemuchstronger,inordertoreachanaudiencethatisnotfamiliarwiththeneighborhoodorthehistory.WhiletheEDChasattemptedtoreachoutonsocialmedia,thevendorsneedtoworktogethertohelpmarketLaMarquetatoboththeneighborhoodandthesurrounding community.
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Chapter III - Comparative Analysis
InterviewswereconductedwiththemarketmanagersfortheArthurAvenueRetailMarketintheBronx,ElMercadoCentralinMinneapolis,EssexStreetMarketontheLowerEastSideinManhattan,andLaMarquetainEastHarlem.ComparativemarketswereselectedbasedoncommoncharacteristicswithLaMarqueta,suchaslocation,managementstructure,orneighborhoodtype.First,eachmarketwillbedescribedseparatelyandthensalientaspectsofcomparisonmarketswillbeanalyzedandcomparedtoLaMarqueta.
Figures 14 & 15: Mercado CentralEl Mercado CentralEl Mercado Central is located in
Minneapolis,MN,servingboththeimmediatecommunityandtouristsasadestinationmarketfocusedonLatinoproducts.Themarketismanagedbyacooperative,wheremembershavepurchasedshares.Ofthemarket’s40businesses,29aremembersoftheco-op.Accordingtoco-opmanagerRodrigoCardozo,ElMercadodirectlyemploysabout350peopleandeconomicallysupportsabout500families.ElMercadowascreated13yearsagobyagroupofLatinoimmigrantsinpartnershipwiththeCityofMinneapolisandseverallocalcommunitydevelopmentcorporationsassistingwithfundingandbusinesstraining.Backwhenthemarketbegan,theneighborhoodwasperceivedas“unsafe.”Themarkethasbeenakeyinrevitalizingthearea.Cardozostates,“InthefirstdaysofMercadoCentral,prostitution,drugsandcrimewererampantontheLakeStreetCorridor. Today the area has been renovated almostcompletelyandhasservedasmodelforbusinessestotryandcopyoursmallethnicmallmodel...TheLakeStreetCorridoristodayfullofbusinessesandmallsthathavehelpedrecoverthecommunityaround.”
InadditiontotheeconomicimpactontheLakeStreetCorridor,MercadoCentralhasbecomeaculturalcenterforMexicanandotherLatinosintheGreaterTwinCitiesarea.Infact,becauseittheonlyLatinomarketinseveral
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states,itservesasadestinationforLatinosfromneighboringstatesforculturalcelebrationssuchasCincodeMayo,VirginofGuadalupeDay,MexicanIndependenceDay,andothers.TheseeventsareorganizedbyamarketcommitteewhichisappointedbytheBoardofDirectors.Theseeventsalsoattractthelocalnon-Latinopopulation.
Tenantsareselectedbyamanagementcompanythatscreensapplicantsforbasiccriteriasuchasfinancialsolvencyandcriminalbackground.Cardozoalsodescribes“gemstone”vendorsand“blacksheep”vendors.Manyblacksheepvendorswereselectedwhenthemarketwassimplytryingtofillupspaceandhadalessonerousselectionprocess.Now,“Whoeverwantstobeamemberneedstobeworthyandunderstandthecooperativeasaninstrumenttoachievecommunitygoalsnottosubsidizehisorherownrentatthecooperative’sexpense.”
ElMercadoCentral’sBoardofDirectorsselectsandapproveswhatcommercialactivitiesareallowedinsidetheMercado–forexample,policiesthatpreventbusinessesfromsellingthesameproduct.Therentalpricesrangefrom$670to$3,000perstall,dependingonthetypeofactivityandlocationinsidethebuilding.Forexample,restaurantspaymorerentbecausetheyareviewedasthemarket’smainattractionandhaveahighersalesvolumethansmallerenterprises.Thesmallerbusinessesaregenerallydependentonthefoottrafficgeneratedbytherestaurants.Businessownersleasetheirspace–typicallyatwoyearleasetoafiveyearlease(thebettertheapplicants’standing,thelongerthelease.)Themarketalsoofferstemporaryspacesfor$35aday.Inordertobecomeamemberoftheco-operative,vendorsarerequiredtoshowpositivecashflowfortwoyears.
SuccessatElMercadoCentralisdefinedbyCordozaas“continuityofattendancetothemarketandthelevelofotherethnicaudiencesvisitingthemarkettocreatesalesopportunities.”Cordozaseesthisastheseedofgrowthforthemarket-theopportunitiescreatedbysteadyfoottrafficandheightenedvisibilityofthemarketasadestination.Successofeachbusinesswillkeeprevenueflowsatthemarketandallowthecooperativetothrive.Oneexampleofsuchasuccesshasbeentheexpansionofseveralbusinesses.Forexample,TaquerialaHaciendastartedinthemarketandnowhasfourlocationsinthemetropolitanareaandemploysmorethan80people.(R.Cardozo,personalcommunication,February7,2013.)
SeveralaspectsofElMercadoCentralaretransferrabletoLaMarqueta.Thelongerleaseterms,andco-oprequirementsthatbusinessesbeprofitablefortwoyears,couldhelpincreasevendorinvestmentinLaMarquetaandensurethatbusinesseshaveasolidbusinessplanandsufficientcapitalbeforeenteringthemarket.Ifappliedretroactively,thisrequirementcouldalsoforcesomelegacytenantstochangetheirbusinessmodelandkeepmoreregularmarkethours.Theuseofthespaceforevents,particularlyLatinothemedevents,isanotherwaythatLaMarquetacouldleverageitscompetitiveadvantagetobringmorepeopletothemarket.
Arthur AvenueTheArthurAvenueRetailMarketisoneofNewYorkCity’spublicmarkets,alsoaremnantfromthedays
ofMayorLaGuardia.ThemarketsitsattheheartoftheArthurAvenueCorridor,otherwiseknownas“theRealLittleItalyofNewYork.”AlthoughthemarketbuildingisownedbytheNYCEDC,itismanagedbyacooperativeandhasbeensincethesixties.Thereareseveralindividualsthatareinchargeofdifferentaspectsofthemarket,suchasmaintenance,accounting/businessmanagement,andmarketing.IinterviewedDavidGreco,
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whoisinchargeofallmarketing,advertising,andeventplanningatthemarket.Themarketcurrentlyhastenvendors,althoughthereusedtobeasmanyas90.Asaresultofthesmallsizeofthemarket,thereisnoformalmechanismforobtainingnewtenants.Theresimplyhastoberoominthemarketbeforeadecisionismade.
WhilethemarkethashistoricallycateredtothehistoricItalianneighborhoodintheimmediatevicinity,ithasalsobegunmarketingitselffurtherout.Forexample,therearenearly14,000studentsnearby–mostlyatFordhamUniversity–whofrequentthemarketandinparticularthenewbeerhallthatisthere.InadditiontoFordhamUniversity,otherbusinessesanddestinationssuchastheBronxZooandtheBotanicalGardenshelpArthurAvenuebecomeatouristdestination.Grecoalsodescribeshighdemandforcookingdemonstrationsinthemarket,andfrequentvisitsfromtheFoodNetworkorothercookingshowswhichhavehelpedboostthemarket’svisibility.
Markettenantssubleasestallspacefromthecooperativeforarangeofdifferentprices(rentsnotdisclosed.)Althoughthemarketisownedbythecity,thecooperativefunctionsforthemostpartindependentlyfromtheCity,andtakeschargeofthemaintenanceandgeneraloperationsofthemarket.Occasionally,theCitywillassistwithfundingforlargeimprovementssuchasAirConditioningorwindowanddoorreplacement.
GrecodefinessuccessatArthurAvenueascontinuingtoselltopqualityproductsandbeingabletoeducatepeopleonItalianproductsandheritage.Otherfuturegoalsforthemarketaretomakemorephysicalimprovementsandcontinuetoheightenthevisibilityofthemarket.AmainchallengetoGrecoistheperceptionoftheBronxasa“stepchild”comparedwithManhattanandBrooklyn.HeseestheBronxasmaintainingtraditionsinsteadof“sellingout,”thewaythatotherboroughshaveinthenameoftourism.Therelianceontourism,aslessandlessItaliansliveintheneighborhood,isamainchallenge.(D.Greco,personalcommunication,February16,2013.)
Essex Street MarketTheEssexStreetmarketislocatedintheLowerEastSideneighborhoodofManhattanandisownedby
theNYCDepartmentofSmallBusinessServices(SBS)andmanagedbytheNYCEDC.EssexStreetcurrentlyhas22tenants.Recently,theEDChiredaSeniorProjectManager,LisaThompson,inchargeexclusivelyoftheretailmarkets,whichincludethemanagementofEssexStreetandLaMarqueta.Thompson’smainresponsibilitiesincludeleasing,marketing,tenantrelations,strategicplanning,andgeneralpropertymanagementatthesetwo markets.
TheEssexStreetMarkethasbeenastapleoftheLowerEastSideformanyyears–atfirstcateringtotheprimarilyimmigrant–firstJewishandnowLatino–communities.Astheneighborhoodhasgentrified,sohavepartsofthemarket–offeringLatino-specificproductsaswellasmorehigh-end,“artisanal”products.Akeygoalofthemarketistomaintainabalancebetweenvendorswhoselltothe“community”andvendorswhoselltothe“foodies.”Anotherpointofcontentioninthemarketisitsmovement,inapproximatelyfiveyears,toanewbuildingaspartoftheEDC’sSewardParkredevelopment.Someinthecommunitywereopposedtothemove,andanewbuildingandbetterfacilitywilllikelyincreasethemarket’svisibilityasaLESdestination.
WhenthereisvacancyatEssexStreet,spacesgoforapproximately$50persquarefootplusacommonareamaintenance(CAM)chargethatiscalculatedbasedonthesizeofstallandutilitiesused.
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Tenantsgothroughapublicapplicationprocessthatoccursonanongoingbasiswhenthereisavacancyinthemarket.AcommitteeattheEDCcomestogethertonarrowdownapplicantsbasedonbusinesstype,pricepoint,financials,andotherfactors.FinalistsarerequiredtointerviewandpresenttheirbusinesstotheEDCCommittee.Successfulcandidatesareoffered1yearpermitswithtwoyearrenewaloptions.
SuccessatEssexStreetMarketisdefinedbyThompsonasmaintainingavendormixthatisreflectiveoftheLowerEastSide–abalancebetweencommunityanddestinationmarket.Thompsonalsostressedtheimportanceofthemarkettocreateasenseofplacesoastocatertobothnativesandnewcomers.ThereiscurrentlydiscussionattheEDCofextendingthemarkets’hourssoastocapturemoreafterworktraffic(themarketcurrentlyclosesat6.)Additionally,withtheadditionofthenewSeniorProjectManagerdedicatedtotheretailmarkets,itishopedthatmorecoordinatedeventsandstrategicplanningwilloccuraroundthemarket.(L.Thompson,personalcommunication,February19,2013.)
La MarquetaMuchofLaMarqueta’smanagementstructureisthesameasthatoftheEssexStreetMarket.Rentsgo
forapproximately$30psfplusa$5CAMcharge.Vendorsareofferedoneyearpermitswithatwoyearrenewaloption.Tworecentlysignednewtenants,Beurre&SelandNordicPreserves,havesomewhatheightenedthevisibilityofthemarketanddrawafewcustomersfromoutsidetheneighborhood.Existingretailers,however,viewthesenewvendorsas“contradictorytothemarket’smission,”accordingtoThompson.Ingeneral,LaMarquetaisnotviewedasadestination,butratheracommunitymarket.TheEDChasrecentlyputmoreeffortintostrategicplanningatthemarket,holdingweeklymeetingstodiscussplanningandmarketingstrategiesforLaMarqueta.Additionally,SBSiscreatingaBIDfor116thStreetinEastHarlem,ofwhichLaMarquetawillbeapart,whichshouldhelpgiveLaMarquetamorecapacityformarketing,events,andstrategicplanning.(L.Thompson,personalcommunication,February19,2013.)
WhenlookingatothermoremarketsthathavebeenmoresuccessfulwithattractingcustomersandcomparingthemtoLaMarqueta,severalthemesemerge.
Market as DestinationAllthreecomparisonmarketsareperceived,insomeway,asadestination.Theydonotrelyontheir
surroundingcommunityalonetosupportthem.Theirabilitytodrawtourismisbasedoffoftheiruniquevalueadd.AtElMercadoCentral,itisthemarket’spositionasoneoftheonlyLatinMarketsaroundinseveralstates. ArthurAvenueofferstopqualityItalianproducts,andispartofatouristcorridorofferingthesameexperience.TheEssexStreetmarkethaslessofanobviousvalueaddfortourists.However,itslocationinManhattanisoneofitsbiggeststrengths–itisthelastpublicmarketinManhattan.Moreover,itstransitionfromcommunityorientedtoartisanalproductshashelpedboostitsvisibilityandallowedittobecomemoreofadestinationmarket.Thenecessityofamarketasadestinationshowsthat,forwhateverreason,marketscannotsurviveoncommunity dollars alone.
Cooperative OwnershipBothArthurAvenueandElMercadoCentralaremanagedbycooperatives.Thisallowsthesemarkets
morefreedomintermsofhowtospendrevenue.Thisisparticularlyrelevantintermsofmarketingand
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strategicplanningforthemarket.BothEssexStreetandLaMarquetaarereliantonEDCmoneyfornearlyallexpenditureswhichcancausedelaysinplanningandmarketing.Moreover,cooperativeownershipallowsvendors,boardsofdirectors,orotherinterestedpartiestobecomemoreinvestedinthefutureofthemarketandtakemoreownership.WiththeEDCmanagementyouseemoretenantdisinterestanddisinvestment,particularlywitholdertenantswhoareaccustomedtothestatusquo. Old and New Tenants
AmajorthemethatemergedatElMercado,EssexStreet,andLaMarqueta,istherelationshipsbetweenthemarketvendors.ThisislessofanissueatArthurAvenue,wherethesingularhistoryandcultureseemtounifyallmarketbusinesses.Attheothermarkets,thereexistsatensionbetweenoldandnew,community-orientedandgentrifyingbusinesses.Attheheartofthistensionisthatthenew,“artisanal”tenantstendtobethebiggestattractorsandmoneymakersatthemarket.WhilebothElMercadoCentralandEssexStreetaregrapplingwiththisissue,ithasemergedmorestronglyatLaMarqueta,wherethethreatofgentrificationisveryreal,buthasnothitinfullforceyet.AsLaMarquetacontinuestofillvacanciesandplanforitsfuture,therewillbeadefiniteneedtobalancetheoldandnewtocreateanoptimaltenantmixforbothcommunityanddestination.
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VI. Recommendations
ThereareseverallessonslearnedfromlookingatbothothermarketsandfromthecurrentconditionsatLaMarquetaitself.RecommendationshavebeenmadeinordertohelpmakeLaMarquetamoresuccesful,whichhavebeenseparatedintopotentialactionitemsforvendors,theEDCmanagement,anddesignandphysicalrecommendations.Successhasbeendefinedasthecreationorretentionofsustainableandprofitablebusinesseswithinthemarketandanincreaseinbothfoottrafficandsalesatthemarket.
Vendor Recommendations Thereareseveralkeyareaswhereexistingvendorscouldmakeadjustmentstoenhancethemarket.First,vendorsmustbeopenduringthemarkethours,whichshouldbearealtivelyeasyadjustmentformanyvendorstomake.Secondly,vendorsneedtofullystocktheirstallssothatthestallsappear“inbusiness.”Atpresent,manyvendorsonlystockwhattheysell,whichdoesnotfillupthestall.Thisgivesanappearanceofastrugglingbusiness.Ifthevendordoesnothavethecapitaltostocktheirstallcompletely,theymustseekotherways,orlessexpensiveproducts,togiveofftheappearanceofasuccesfulbusiness. AkeyareawhereLaMarqueta’svendorscouldimprovewouldbethroughthecreationofaMerchant’sAssociation,orevenaco-op.AMerchant’sAssociationwouldallowthevendorstoworktogethertocomeupwithideasformarketingandotherstrategicimprovementsforthemarket.Asseenwithothermarkets,thiscollectivestrategizinggivesmarketvendorsmoreagencyovermarketactivitiesandimagingandwouldalsofosterasenseofownershipofthemarket’ssuccess.InordertocreateaCo-Op,LaMarquetavendorswouldneedtoshowtheEDCthattheycouldsuccesfullyrunthemarketontheirown.Severalmilestonesinsalesandfoottrafficwouldneedtobereached.Moreover,theEDCmaybeapprehensivetorelinquishcontrolgiventhemanyotherdevelopmentsoccurringinEastHarlemandtheHDCplanforLaMarquetaspecifically.Ifaco-opstructurewereproposed,therewouldlikelybeanegotiationperiodwiththeEDCoverthestipulationsoftheco-op.Ultimately,acooperativestructurecouldbeawin-winfortheEDC-andasuccessstoryfortheirabilitytorevitilizemarketsandcommunities.
For the EDC BarringthemobilizationofmarketvendorstoformaMerchant’sAssociationorco-op,thereareseveralstepsthattheEDCcantakeinordertoimprovethemarketfromamanagementperspective.Theareasforimprovementaremany,includingbothphysicalandnon-physicalimprovements.TheEDC’sareasofimprovementhavebeensplitintotwocategories:PoliticalandInstitutionalRelationshipandEconomicsandAsset Management. Political and Institutional Relationship BecauseLaMarquetaisnotaprofitable“asset”fortheEDC,itreceiveslessattentionthanotherbuildings.However,withthenewhiringofaSeniorProjectManagerfortheretailmarkets,thisshouldbechanging.ThemaincomplaintabouttheEDCfromLaMarquetatenantsistheamountoftimeittakesthingstogetdone.AccordingtoJoshGreenspan,therelationshipworkingwiththecityis“frustrating.[Thereis]verylittleaction,[and]everythingisamassiveprocessthattakeswaytoolong.Nooneinthe
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EDCreallyunderstandsthemarketsortenantsandhowtosuccessfullypromoteorchangewhatisn’tworking.”(PersonalcommunicationMarch262013.)Thissentimentwasechoedbyothertenants.ThebureaucraticprocessthattheEDCmustfollowistimeconsumingbecauseofthemanydifferentagencies,aswellaspoliticalconcerns,thattheEDCmustfollow.Shortofcreatingaco-opoftenantstomanagethemarket,apossiblesolutionwouldbetotransferthemanagementofLaMarquetaintoadifferentdepartmentintheEDC,suchasstrategicplanning. AnotheroptiontoimprovethepoliticalrelationshipbetweentheEDCandmarketvendorswouldbefortheEDCtomakeakeyinvestmentintheexistingmarket,asanactofgoodfaith,tohelppromoteincreasedsalesandfoottrafficatthemarket.Thiscouldincludeputtingmoneyintophysicalimprovementsinthemarket,oreventplanningandprogramminginthemarketoroutdoorplazainthesummer.TheEDChasbeguntohintatsomeofthesethings,fundingHolidaydecorationsandpermittingforspecialevents,suchastheEastHarlemHarvestFestival.Nevertheless,theEDChasplayedareactionaryrole,likelybecauseoftheviewofLaMarquetaasasecondary,andnotmoney-making,asset.Inordertohelppushthemarketforward,aswellasgainthetrustandconfidenceofthevendors,theEDCneedstotakeamoreproactiverole.
Economic & Asset Management There are changes that could be made to the economicstructureofLaMarquetathatwouldhelpensurefuturesuccess.Forexample,havingstrictereconomicrequirementsforbothnewandexistingtenants,suchastwoyearsofpositivecashflowsasseeninElMercado
Problems-Tenantsnotmeetingmarketrules-CostofExtendingMarketHoursSolutions-EnforceMarketRules-Strictereconomicregulationsonpotentialtenants,retroactivelyenforceon“legacytenants”-SmallBusinessTraining-Extendmarkethoursonatrialbasis
Central,wouldhelpensurethatvendorshaveasolidbusiness model. Another issue that needs to be addressed istheflailing“legacy”vendors.Notonlydomanyoftheirproductsoverlap,buttheybringlittletonofoottraffictothemarketandarebarelysurviving.TheEDCneedstotakeadifferentapproachtothesetenantsbyimposingstricterrequirementsontheirstalls,products,andhours.Conversely,theEDCcanencouragerelationshipswiththeDepartmentofSmallBusinessServices,orprovideotherbusinessassistance,tohelpthelegacytenantsaltertheirbusinessmodel.Itisoftentimesviewedasmoredifficulttomanagelegacytenantsbecauseoftheperceptionofseniorityandtheirconnectiontotheneighborhood.Nevertheless,LaMarquetacanonlybeasgoodasitsweakestlinks. Anotherchangethatcouldbemadeisincreasingthemarkethours.AccordingtoJoshGreenspan,thecurrentmarkethoursdonotmeettheneedsofthecommunity.Greenspanwouldliketosee“hoursofoperationthatareconducivetopeopleintheneighborhoodandtheirshoppinghabits–9AMto5PMandclosedonSundaydoesn’tworkforanyone.”Inordertoincreasethemarket’shours,theEDCwouldneedto
Problems-BureaucraticDelays-LaMarquetanotamoneymakingassetSolutions-NewSeniorProjectManager-PossibilityofCooperativeManagementStructure-PossibilityoftransfertonewEDCdepartment
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invest more in security and other building costs. This isseenassomewhatriskybecausenotalltenants,especiallythelegacytenants,keepthemarkethoursastheyarenow.IftheEDCmakesthisinvestment,they would need to be assured that vendors would be presentfortheadditionalhours.
Design Recommendations Designrecommendationscan,andwouldlikelyneedtobe,executedbymanydifferentparties,includingtheEDC,DOT,CommunityBoard,MTA,individualbusinessowners,andothers.Design
Figure 16: Park Avenue Exterior
recommendationsweresplitintothreecategories:SignageandWayfinding,Placemaking,andMarketing,StrategicPlanning,andOutreach.
Signage and WayfindingAmainchallengeofLaMarquetaisthephysicalrestraintsofthemarket.Whilethelongstripof
buildingunderneaththeMetroNorthraillineisviewablefromthestreet,thesignageofLaMarquetaisnotparticularlyclearoreasilyvisible.Also,whilewalkingonParkAvenueonemayseeasignforLaMarqueta,itisunclearhowtogetinthemarket.Therefore,bettersignageisneededingeneral,andinparticularinregardstowherethemarketentranceis.Additionally,ParkAvenueisbifurcatedinthissectionofthecity,making street crossings more dangerous and less clear. ThesidewalksonthesidesofParkAvenuethatborderLaMarquetaarealsosmallerandusedinfrequently.AllofthesestreetelementsservetoisolateLaMarquetaandmakeitinhospitabletopedestrians.TheEDC,orCommunityBoard11,couldworkwiththeDOTandothercommunitystakeholdersinordertoimprovepedestrianaccess,lighting,andsignagearoundLaMarqueta.Inadditiontocateringtopedestrians,there also need to be ways to connect La Marqueta to existingpublictransportation,includingthesubwaystopat116thStreetandtheMetroNorthstationat125th. Signageandwayfindingwillhelporientpeople,butanadditionallong-termgoalcouldbecreatingashuttleserviceorademarcatedpathwayfromthe125thstationtoLaMarqueta. InsideLaMarquetatherearealsoseveraldesignchallenges.Thelong,narrowhallwaysgoingbackfromthefrontmakethevendorsinthebacklessvisible.Also,becauseofthedesignofthemarket,onlythetwovendorsinthefrontareabletohaveseating.Apartfromacompletearchitecturalredesignofthemarket,thereareseveralrecommendationsforthemarket’sinteriorthatmaymakeiteasiertonavigateandensure
Problems-LackofExteriorSignage-Unsafe/UnclearcrossingsandsidewalksonPark Avenue-LackofConnectiontoPublicTransportation-LackofInteriorSignageandWayfinding-MarketSeatingonlydesignatedfortwovendorsSolutions-MoresignageatthePlaza,115thStreetentrance,andnearpublictransportation-Createinteriordirectoryofvendors-Pedestrian/CrossingImprovements-Improveandunifymarketseating
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thateachvendorcanbesuccessfuldespitetheirlocation.First,alargemapofthemarket’slayoutwouldbehelpfulatthefrontofthemarkettogiveeachvendorvisibility.Secondly,communalmarketseatingatthefront,asopposedtoseatingthatisdesignatedforjustonevendor,wouldpossiblyencourageothervendorstosellpreparedfoodsforon-siteconsumption.Asitexistsnow,theseatingfeelsdesignatedforeitherHotBreadAlmacenorBreezyHill,althoughthereisnosignageexplicitlystatingthis.
Placemaking TheimageandbrandofLaMarquetais a hodgepodgeofattempteddesignsandretrofitsthatdonotgotogetherinanaestheticorfunctionalmanner.Forexample,theillustrationsonthesideofLaMarquetashowpigsandcowswithsignsthatsayPork,Tops,andBeefatLaMarqueta.Thesegivetheimpressionofmeatwholesaling,andharkenbacktotheolderdaysofthemarketasopposedtoitscurrentsituation.Inaddition,thesignageoutsideLaMaquetaisinorange,withcolumnspaintedingreen.ThePlazaispaintedorangeaswell,inalmostaprisonlikefashion.Whilenoneofthesedesignelementsareinthemselvesnegative,theydonotgotogethertocreateasenseofplaceandidentityforLaMarqueta.Inordertogeteitherlocalsortouriststoshopthere,LaMarquetaneedstoformanidentitysothatitsbrandisrecognizable.Suggestionsforthisincludepickingaclearcolorscheme,font,andbrand.Thismotifshouldappearinthemarket’sinteriorandexterior,inthePlaza,andonanyprintedmarketingmaterialsandwenupdates.Otherelementstocreateasenseofplaceandbrandcouldbeputtingplantersoutside,paintingthesidewalks,andencouragingvendorstoparticipateinlaMarquetabranding.Thisbrandingcouldalsobetransferrabletohelpconnectthemarkettopublictransportation,includingthe6stopat116thStreetandtheMetroNorthstationat125thStreet.IfLaMarquetaistobecomeadestinationatall,theEDCwillalsoneedtosortouttheissueofthemarket’sconfusingnomenclature.DoesLaMarquetameanonlythemarketinBuilding4,ordoesitmeanalltheBuildingsandlotsunderneaththeviaduct?TheEDCneedstorebrandtheentireviaduct,inadditionthemarketbuilding,sothatthenomenclatureofLaMarquetabecomesclear.
Marketing, Strategic Planning, and Outreach Inordertoincreasefoottraffictothemarket,acomprehensivemarketingandstrategicplanisneeded.Inadditiontoimprovementsinsignageandwayfinding,betterlighting,streetscape,andpedestrianimprovements,theinternalmarketingneedstobeampedupbytheEDC.Atpresent,theEDCmaintainsaninternalFacebookwebsiteforalloftheNewYorkCityMarkets,butdoesnothaveanindividualaccountforLaMarqueta.TheEDCandLaMarquetahavealsohadminorsuccessesineventplanningatLaMarquetaandinthePlaza,butneedtobuildonthisinordertomakeLaMarquetaadestination.Eventplanningcanalsobehelpedbyformingkeypartnershipswithstakeholders,includingcommunitygroups,Latinandminoritybasedgroups,orevenManhattantouristandvisitorgroups.ThePlazacanhosteventsinthewarmermonths,and
Problems-HodgePodgeimageandlackofbrand-Uncleardefinitionof“LaMarqueta”-LocationunclearSolution-CreateabrandforLaMarquetatogoonallmarketingmaterialsandwebcontent-ReinforcebrandinthePlaza,marketfaçadeandsidewalk-CreatemapsandlocationdefiningtheMarket(Building4)vs.therestofLaMarqueta
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willneedtobeprogrammedforeventsonweeknightsandtheweekends.Othermajorthemesthatcouldbetiedintomarketing,inphysicalanddigitalform,isthehistoryofSpanishHarlemandLaMarquetaitself,farmer’smarkets,andthelocallygrownandorganicfoodmovement.Alongwithcraftingadistinctmarketingmessageandbrand,theEDCshouldprovidetripplanningassistanceonitswebsiteorsocialmediapagetogivepeopledirectionsonhowtogettoLaMarqueta,andtotellthemwhatisthere.Particularlyasmanyoutoftowners,andevenpeopleinNewYork,arenotfamiliarwiththeEastHarlemneighborhood.Inadditiontopotentialcustomers,theEDCcouldalsoreachoutandmarkettheBuilding4orPlazaspacetopotentialeventcoordinators,operators,orothergroupsthatcouldusethespacetoplanevents.Thisway,theEDCcansharetheburdenofeventplanninganddetermininglogisticalissues.
Problems-Lackofinternalmarketingstrategy-Lackofcommunitypartnerships-NeedtocreatedestinationSolutions-IncreaseSocialMediapresencewithindividualFacebookandTwitterpage-Reachouttostakeholders:communitygroups,BIDs,LatinandMinoritybasedgroups,andNYCtouristandvisitorgroups-Exploreotherrelatedthemesforpotentialprogramming:HistoryofSpanishHarlem,farmer’smarkets,local/organicfood-MarketPlazaspaceforrentals/events
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-New Senior Project Manager
Management Improvements
Design, Branding, and Community Outreach
-Enforce Market Rules -EDC to be
proactive instead of reactive - Increased EDC investment (event planning, physical improvements, etc.)
-Extend market hours on a trial basis
-Stricter economic regulations on potential tenants, retroactively enforce on “legacy tenants”
-Possibility of Cooperative Management Structure
-Possibility of transfer to new EDC department
More signage at the Plaza, 115th Street entrance, and near public transportation
Create a brand for La Marqueta to for marketing materials and web content Branded
Signage in interior and exterior of market
Increase Social Media presence with individual Facebook and Twitter page Create and
define new nomenclature
Create interior directory of vendors Pedestrian/Crossing Improvements
Improve and unify market seating
Reinforce brand in the Plaza, market façade and sidewalk Create maps and location defining the Market vs. the rest of La Marqueta
Market as a community and destination market, event space, and cultural asset
Reach out to stakeholders: community groups, BIDs, Latin and Minority based groups, and NYC tourist and visitor groups
Market Plaza space for rentals/events
Explore other related themes for potential programming: History of Spanish Harlem, farmer’s markets, local/organic food
Figure 17: Recommendations Diagram
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VII. Conclusion
AlthoughtheimprovementsatLaMarquetamayseemdaunting,thecurrenteconomicandsocialclimateprovideagreatopportunityformarketsuccess.Changingneighborhooddemographicscanactuallyworkinthefavorofthemarket.Gentrification,howeverscary,presentsopportunitiesforvendorstofindanichemarketforlocal,artisanal,orotherwiseuniqueproducts.Atthesametime,theEastHarlemLatinopopulationremainsstrong.Thesuccessfulvendorwillbeabletostrikeabalancebetweencommunityconcernsandgentrifyingtastes.Keychangesinthemarket’smanagementstructurewillalsohelpitsvendorscompete.Becauseonestall’sappearanceaffectsthewholemarket,stricterrulesmustbeputinplacetomakesureallvendorsaremeetingbasicstandards.Improvingaccessandvisibilityofthemarketwithintheneighborhood,aswellasbettersignageintheimmediateproximity,willhelpmaketheshoppingexperienceamorepleasantone.Reachingawideraudiencebyampingupmarketingeffortsshouldhelpthemarketbecomemoreofadestination.
Ultimately,however,itisuptotheindividualvendorsandbusinessesinLaMarqueta,nottheEDC,tocreateaviablebusinessplanandtargetaspecificcustomer.Marketingandbrandingeffortswillbefornaughtifpeoplecometoanempty,orhalfopen,market.WhilethehistoryofLaMarquetaandSpanishHarlemiscompelling,achangingEastHarlemaswellasshiftingconsumptionpatternsmeanthatthereisnoroomtomaintainthestatusquo.Themarketshouldrecognizeandappreciateitspast,butalsolearnlessonsfromitsdecline,inordertobuildanattractive,accessiblemarketthatiscapableofbringinginnewcustomersfromboththeneighborhood,NewYorkCity,andbeyond.
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Appendix
Figure1:LaMarquetaSitePlan(Source:NYCEDC) p.6
Figure2:LaMarquetaMile(Source:HCDC) p.7
Figure3:CensusTractLocaterMap(Census) p.14
Figure4:PopulationGrowth2000-2010(Census) p.14
Figure5:Non-HispanicPopulation2000-2010(Census) p.15
Figure6:HispanicPopulation2000-2010(Census) p.15
Figure7:RetailbyType(ReferenceUSA) p.17
Figures8&9:InteriorSeatingFacing115thStreet(A.Scattergood) p.20
Figure10:LaMarquetaBuilding4InteriorPlan(NYCEDC) p.20
Figure11:VivaProduce,LegacyVendor(A.Scattergood) p.22
Figures12&13:VacantStalls(A.Scattergood) p.23
Figures14&15:MercadoCentral(MercadoCentral) p.25
Figure16:ParkAvenueExterior(A.Scattergood) p.32
Figure17:RecommendationsDiagram(A.Scattergood) p.35