A Message From the Executive Director

Dear SoHo Broadway Community,

Over the past several nights, SoHo and nearby neighborhoods have been overwhelmed with civil unrest and property damage. While large-scale demonstrations and marches in response to George Floyd’s death are being organized daily, locally we have seen widespread looting generally not associated with these peaceful protests. The Initiative supports the free speech rights of those who are demonstrating but strongly condemns those who are using peaceful protests as cover for the looting and property damage that have overtaken SoHo Broadway and nearby neighborhoods in recent nights.

These past few evenings have been difficult on the SoHo Broadway community, especially our residents who are watching destruction unfold on their streets and sometimes in their own buildings. I am heartsick to hear the personal stories about how the unrest is impacting those who live and work in this one-of-a-kind neighborhood.

In response to the social unrest, on Monday, the Governor announced a curfew for New York City, which starting on Tuesday will run from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. As part of the curfew, access may be restricted to people who live or work in the neighborhood. Please make sure to carry a valid photo identification so that you can get home or to your office and give employees ample time to safely get home before the curfew starts.

The Initiative continues to make the following suggestions to protect your buildings/premises during any future civil unrest: 

• Secure your premises/building: 
  • Remove merchandise from storefront;
  • Install physical barriers on ground floor to prevent break-ins through storefronts or other ground-floor access points;
  • Leave lights on overnight on the ground floor; 
  • Check security systems, security cameras, security of entrances;
  • Hire overnight security;
  • Do not buzz strangers into building;
• Place garbage (residential or commercial) out in the morning for collection during the day and do not leave garbage on sidewalk overnight as it poses a potential fire risk;

If you have security cameras, please check the recordings from the prior evenings for any footage that might helpful in a future criminal investigation. 

Here are a few things we’ve focused on over the last 48 hours:

• On Monday, DSNY requested that we remove our trash receptacles. With help from DSNY, Initiative staff and the Clean Team, all 33 of our receptacles were removed and are now in storage. A huge shout-out to our partners at DSNY, ACE Programs for the Homeless, the Clean Team and GFP Real Estate for working together to complete this massive undertaking in only one day.
• We’ve added additional members to the Clean Team during the day to support additional needs of the district, focusing on keeping all block faces free of litter or bags of garbage that might pose a fire risk and painting over graffiti. The Clean Team continues to work from 8 a.m. until approximately 6 p.m.
• Initiative staff coordinated the removal of several garbage dumpsters and notified property owners of potentially dangerous conditions.

As always, if there is anything that you are concerned about, please contact us.

Stay safe everyone.

In partnership,

Mark Dicus

Executive Director, SoHo Broadway Initiative