Artist-only TV, Lights in Townsend Park, and other news from Central Avenue

We've gone GREEN! View this email in your browser Central BID Newsletter Summer 2014 Introduce UAlbany students to the city--and your business Who's coming to All Around Albany 2014? This year's freshmen class--and you! The Central Avenue Business Improvement District invites you to introduce your business to incoming college students at "All Around Albany 2014," an orientation event for University at Albany students. On Saturday, August 23, students will be picked up on campus, treated to a tour of the city, and then taken to the Ramada Plaza Hotel for a tradeshow-style reception, complete with fun, food, and freebies. In its fourth year, All Around Albany has quickly become one of the most popular parts of Great Dane Beginnings, UAlbany's official orientation program. Register to have a table at the event, or sign up to sponsor the event to enjoy even more benefits. You can also add your coupons, menus or other promotional materials to our goody bags. Sign up now by visiting our website: www.centralbid.com. Deadline is August 1. This event will be taking place on Saturday August 23, 2014 at the Albany Ramada Plaza Hotel from 11am-2pm. For more information please contact the CBID office at (518) 462-4300. Night Light $2,200 grant for Townsend Park   The Greater Capital Chapter of New York State Commercial Association of Realtors® the local representative group of real estate professionals, has received a $2,200.00 placemaking micro-grant from the National Association of Realtors® to help install outdoor lighting in Townsend Park.   The grant will enable the Central Avenue BID to add lighting to Townsend Park's trees, transforming the park into an exciting urban space for the community and for newly formed thriving business at Central Avenue's bustling east end.   "As the Townsend Park area becomes more attractive and welcoming, nearby properties may also increase in value," said Central BID Executive Director Anthony Capece. The lighting will make the park more user-friendly and add to its ambience, he says. This lighting project represents the next step for the park, and would go a long way to economically enhance the City of Albany and, at the same time, preserve and restore and highlight a park that's been around for over one hundred years, says Capece. Realtors live, work, and volunteer in their communities and take immense pride in working to improve them," says Nick DeMarte, President of the NYSCAR Board. "Placemaking can help foster healthier, more socially and economically viable communities. It creates places where people feel a stronger stake in their neighborhoods and are committed to making things better. This grant will allow us to address areas in our community that are in need of improvement or redevelopment and create a place where friends and neighbors can come together." This is the first time a commercial board of realtors has ever been awarded a placemaking grant by the National Association of Realtors.   Transit Art   CDTA to launch public art program in Central Ave's busiest stations CDTA, with the support of the Central Avenue Business Improvement District, will install give flatscreen TVs in its busiest Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations on Central Avenue to display the work of local artists and artists' organizations. The Transit Art Program is part of CDTA's Transit Development Plan and is designed to share local art and arts programming with the public. "We're excited," says Jonathan Scherzer, Director of Marketing for CDTA. "I think it's a great program. It's a no-brainer for us. We feel very entrenched in our communities, and I know the Central Avenue BID feels the same way, so to give something back and allow people to have a voice is a real positive thing." The big push now is getting as many arts organizations on board as possible, in order to make the content as engaging and varied as possible, Scherzer says. The five 42-inch flatscreens will be mounted inside durable enclosures inside the BRT stations located at 900 Central Avenue in front of Hannaford Plaza, 855 Central Avenue near Mildred Elley, 633 Central Avenue near Danker Florist and across the street, and at 195 Washington Avenue in front of the Washington Avenue Armory. The Transit Art Program will include stills, videos, and demonstrations, music performances, dance performances, cooking demonstrations, fashion, flower arrangements, writing samples--nearly anything that involves artistry or design. Future plans for the project could include virtual gallery openings, virtual holiday craft fairs, and other community tie-ins. If you would like to submit your work for inclusion in this program, please contact CBID offices at (518) 462-4300 to get more information.     We're taking Central Avenue on the road! We'll be exhibiting at the following events this summer and fall:  smAlbany Expo 2014, July 17, 8am-4pm, CNSE Campus, Albany (http://smalbany.org/) Live Life Local, September 28, 11am-4pm, Times Union Center, Albany  Small Business Albany Showcase, October 1, 8am-5pm, Holiday Inn Express, Latham (http://smallbusinessalbany.com/) Albany Fall Brew Fest, October 4, 12pm-6pm, Westland Hills Park, Albany (www.gotoguide.net/albany-oktoberfest/) Honest Weight Food Co-op's 6th Annual Local Harvest Festival, October 5, 12pm-4pm, Washington Park Lake House, Albany (www.hwfc.com) This newsletter represents a small, partial supplement to our comprehensive, constantly updated electronic newsletter "Blogging the Avenue." Please follow us there for all the Central Avenue news: http://www.centralbidnewsletter.com Contact Us: Central Ave. Business Improvement District 176 Central Ave. Albany, NY 12206 (518) 462-4300 unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences    Friend Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Visit Our Website

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