First Completed New York Main Street Preservation Project on Myrtle Unveiled
We recently finished working with local merchant and property owner Sandra Graves of White Elephant Gallery to restore the historic facades of her two buildings at 572 & 572A Myrtle Avenue. Sandra embarked on this preservation effort after we awarded her up to $10,000 in matching funds from the State's Division of Housing & Community Renewal to be reimbursed to her after successfully completing renovation work according to an agreed-upon scope of work and design standards. Through its NYMS Program, MARP will provide a total of eight matching grants of up to $10,000 to property owners of mixed-use buildings on Myrtle Avenue for renovations to historic façades. Stop by White Elephant Gallery to check out Sandra's preserved facade, new signage, and a store filled with one-of-a-kind collectibles and antiques. Read more.

Two More New York Main Street Projects Underway
Two more great buildings on the avenue are in the process of being restored by their property owners with the assistance of our New York Main Street Program and reimbursement funds provided by NY State. These "before" photos at 505 Myrtle and 446 Myrtle give a feel for the diversity of our building stock and show some of the historic gems that still exist: the only remaining original retail storefront (505) and the only cast-iron facade (446) on the avenue.

Findings from the Myrtle Avenue Community Visioning Workshop
On November 19, 2005, we hosted a community visioning session at Benjamin Banneker Academy in partnership with Pratt Institute's urban planning program. Over 60 community residents, merchants, and property owners came out to map their own views of the avenue's strengths and weaknesses, and to discuss their visions for an improved retail strip. Everything from streetscape design and pedestrian improvements to retail mix and historic preservation were discussed at the seven tables the larger group was divided into. Be sure to check out the full report in PDF format (the file is 2.3 MB, and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader), and please contact us if you would like to provide any additional comments, ideas, or visions for your favorite or least favorite block of Myrtle Avenue.

Help Protect the Historic Wallabout Neighborhood
Our recently completed Cultural Resource Survey of the mixed-use Wallabout neighborhood north of Myrtle Avenue and south of the Brooklyn Navy Yard proposes the creation of a residential landmark district, in addition to the landmarking of a number of notable industrial and religious complexes north of Park Avenue. Researched by noted architectural historian Andrew Dolkart, who completed the landmark designation reports for both Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, the survey is now available here in PDF format. (The file is 2.1 MB, and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Myrtle Avenue Shopping & Dining Guide / Historic Walking Tour
Stop by your closest Myrtle Avenue merchant to pick up the 2005-06 edition of the Myrtle Avenue Shopping & Dining Guide. Included is an historic walking tour of the area so everyone can learn a bit more about the wealth of historic and cultural assets our community has to offer. You can also just give us a call to have a copy sent by mail. Read more, and check for weekly updates at the online Shopping Guide.