Staten Island Chamber Joins National Grid for Downtown Cleanup
On Monday, September 21, National Grid employees joined the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce for the company’s annual Staten Island Day of Service, bringing volunteers together to clean and beautify the Bay Street commercial corridor.
Approximately 20 National Grid volunteers and Chamber staff worked throughout Stapleton, Tompkinsville, and St. George, cleaning sidewalks and public spaces and helping create a cleaner, more welcoming environment for residents, businesses, and visitors.
The New York City Department of Sanitation supported the effort by providing supplies and collecting garbage gathered by volunteers throughout the day.
Among those participating and supporting the Day of Service were Linda Baran, President and CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce; Jacqueline Caruso, Downtown Staten Island Project Manager; Andrew Mulvy, Government Relations Manager at National Grid; Tommy Scarangello, Staten Island External Affairs Manager at National Grid; Paul Dezinna, Maintenance Supervisor at National Grid; Richard Ferraro, Deputy Chief, Staten Island Borough, New York City Department of Sanitation; and Lizzy Bianco from the Office of Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon.
The Day of Service supports the Chamber’s broader work to strengthen and reinvigorate Downtown Staten Island. The Chamber is currently leading the formation of a Business Improvement District covering St. George, Tompkinsville, and Stapleton. Once established, the BID would create a dedicated, community-directed funding source for services including street cleaning, beautification, and marketing. You can learn more about the Downtown Staten Island BID formation and cast a digital ballot as a resident, merchant, or property owner (within the boundaries) on www.downtownsi.nyc.
“Keeping our commercial corridors clean, welcoming, and vibrant is an important part of supporting the small businesses that call them home,” said Linda Baran, Chamber President and CEO. “We’re grateful to National Grid and the Department of Sanitation for rolling up their sleeves and working alongside us. Partnerships like this make a visible difference today while supporting the larger work we’re doing to strengthen Downtown Staten Island.”
“It was a privilege to partner with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce for our annual Day of Service, helping beautify a corridor that means so much to residents, businesses, and visitors alike," said Andrew Mulvey, NYC External Affairs Director, National Grid. "National Grid takes great pride in investing in the communities we serve, and we look forward to continuing this partnership with the Chamber to make Staten Island an even better place to live, work, and visit."
In the meantime, partnerships such as the National Grid Day of Service allow the Chamber to bring additional resources and services directly to the corridor while continuing to build support for the proposed BID. Once formed, the BID would continue to leverage private and public partnerships in order to support commercial activity for businesses and quality of life for residents.
The Chamber is also managing a New York State-funded Downtown Revitalization Initiative wayfinding project aimed at improving signage, connectivity, and the commuter and visitor experience around the St. George Ferry Terminal.
Together, these initiatives support a shared goal of making Downtown Staten Island cleaner, more welcoming, and better positioned to support local businesses and increased commercial activity.
If you have any questions about the Downtown Staten Island project, including the BID formation initiative as well as the improved wayfinding efforts from the St. George ferry terminal and throughout the corridor, please contact Project Manager Jacqueline Caruso at jcaruso@sichamber.com
Photos by Steve White, Staten Arts Photography
