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CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. – The Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce has joined a movement dubbed “The 3/50 Project,” which asks local consumers what three businesses they would miss most if they closed, and to commit to spending a total of $50 a month in one or more of those three establishments.
Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce Founder Rob Greenstein said the connection between local merchants and their costumers is a continuous, conscious relationship.
“It’s natural for people to act in their own interests, but sometimes that harms the group,” he said. “Merchants aren’t just saying “shop local.” They’re saying “just give it a thought in your everyday life. If there’s something you need to buy, ask yourself if you buy it in town first.”
The concept behind the project works like this: for every $50 spent in locally owned stores, $34 returns to the community through payroll, other expenditures and taxes. If you spend $50 in a national chain, only $22 returns. If you spend it online, $0 returns to the community.
The three-fifty project states on its website that “if half the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent business, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.”
Greenstein sees the project as another way to bring the community together to enhance the downtown’s vitality.
“One of the things the Chamber wants to do is to create an atmosphere and look for the downtown hamlets that make customers feel proud of us,” he said. “We’re making ourselves and our products attractive enough to be worthy of your attention, so that ideally, you’re going to find your friends and acquaintances down here too.”
Retailers interested in joining the 3/50 project can register under several different labels, including “Storefront retailer,” “Other brick and mortar business,” “Business that wears a national or regional brand name,” and other supporters such as companies, organizations, individuals and home based businesses.
Consumers looking to find out more information about the 3/50 project and how to become part of it can visit its website.
Comments (17)
Rob Greenstein- you claim you want to work with fellow business owners? I thought you are a lawyer. I suppose having your own law practice in some way also qualifies you as a business owner. But this comment got me thinking. You pontificate about town zoning, applications, environmental studies, reviews, and other legal matters regarding real estate, primarily as it pertains to the developer of Chappaqua Crossing. Being a lawyer i bet some people think you are credible and knowledgeable in areas of real estate law. So i checked your website. You are a personal injury attorney - plaintiff. Your areas of practice include "slip and fall accidents", "scaffold and ladder accidents","truck crash accidents","public transportation accidents", "sidewalk and street accidents", "school park and playground accidents" and medical malpractice to name several but not all. Nowhere does it say anything about you being involved in real estate, commercial development, retail etc. So if i slip and fall and want to sue the town or school I can call you. If I want to sue a Dr or hospital I can call you. But if I need legal advice about real estate and mixed use property or zoning I think there might be better more qualified people in the area. I rest my case.
CHUMPster, I'm only responding to call you a coward. Use a real name - grow a set, bud.
Greenstein – you are truly despicable. You continue to berate and put folks down that don’t share your point of view. You can not even fathom that there might be another point of view contrary to yours. You are all about YOU. It’s a zero sum game with you. If any body disagrees with you and they don’t post their name you immediately discredit them and start your name calling. By way of reference, every blog or website that invites comments does not require a real name. Even if it should anybody can simply use a fake name anyway.
YES you did lose the election in a landslide. Of over 6000 votes you received apprx 17% of the vote while the 2 winners received 30% and 28% respectively. That means they beat you with approx 75% more votes than you. According to election results posted on NCN- Greenstein 1,075 votes / Mottel 1,891 votes, Chapin 1,763 votes. Even Diefenbach beat you – you came in dead last! You are in denial.
You are the coward. All you do is complain about the Town Board. The best way to change things is from the inside. Run again – get elected to the Town Board and change the things you believe we so desperately need to change. You bitch and moan at and a\bout the Town Board – then run. You wont run (coward) because you would get crushed. But you can fool yourself and tell everyone you are not going to run because you are doing what you enjoy and working with fellow business owners. I’m laughing out loud! Didn’t you write on NCNow that you were done responding to anonymous comments? You cant even keep your word.
Putting aside our philosophical differences and putting aside any disagreement on the various town development schemes, this site is a much better site to have real debate and discussion about the issues as it is real time posting and not having to wait hours to have the conversation like on New Castle Now. If we could stop the bullsh*t name calling and stick to the issues, we can have a productive conversation. We all might find we have much more in common than we think.
Bobby - I stand corrected. I have no knowledge and no proof that national chain stores will be coming. Just as we have no knowledge or proof which stores will come to Chapp Crossing. However, we can make some predictions as to which ones might occupy downtown and CC based on population density, demographics, need, and capital required to be successful. I think a logical person could conclude that a national chain store or two (or more) could be in the mix in both projects. That is the case in Mt Kisco and Pleasantville. Interestingly Summit G has offered more descriptive possibilities as who they might bring in (the type of retailer) than Mr Napoli has. Napoli has been totally silent when asked how big each of his stores will be and who he will try to attract.This logical person also might conclude that if our current merchants are having a difficult time making a go of it that bringing in even more merchants will cannibalize business. Logically if we build out downtown Chapp making it a draw, it will take away business and hurt Millwood merchants.
To Greenstein- that you just called Bobby a "coward" proves to everyone that you are a bully, hostile, and combative. In your comment to Bobby you say its a shame people are able to attack others without using real names. But its ok for you to attack Bobby because you post your name and he doesn’t. Shouldn’t the act of attacking someone be the offense and not the fact that one chooses to remain anonymous. Why attack at all? Why not debate and be civil? You continue to embarrass yourself. And who are you to speak for the community? You are so out of touch if you really think ZERO people support the project at CC. Or as you put ZERO people who understand the scope of the project. Oh yes Rob , you who is all knowing and only you and your few cheerleaders have the intellect to undertsand- the rest of us are stupid and in the dark. No wonder why you are not running for office again. You lost in a landslide the last time (no surprise there) and you have allientated yourself even further. Your comments above as further proof.
P.K. I lost in a landslide?!?!? I wonder if you would get 1,200 votes running on your own party.
And since I'm not a candidate I don't have to worry about calling people - like yourself - a coward when they attack someone without using a real name. That's a plus!
Thank you for clarifying.
I may be mistaken, but I think Napoli specifically said he was looking for the smaller artisan merchant. While that may be a great idea on paper, I am not so foolish as to think that can't or won't change as the pressure of his investors to show a return starts to beat down his back.
As for Chappaqua Crossing, I have no real opposition or support for it. I can think of good arguments why it would hurt the merchants downtown and good reasons why it might help. To be honest, I am not sure the Town Board has an obligation to protect the downtown merchants at the expense of possible economic growth overall for the town, but that certainly can be debated. (Rob, before you go off on that, I am saying both points of view seem valid.)
To drag the other contentious issue into this thread, I would actually support a scaled down 3 story affordable housing plan for the site hard by the train tracks and the Saw Mill. If the scope and architecture fits in and someone wants to live in that location, bless them.
Bobby - If that is true that Napoli will try to get artisan type merchants then that supports the claim that these new merchants will compete with and likely harm current merchants. After all, how many gift stores , craft stores , and antique stores can there be? How many sandwich shops, salad bars, and coffee, bagel, pastry places can we accommodate? I certainly agree with you regarding Napoli- no bank or investor will lend-invest in his project without some clear game plan of who he intends to occupy these stores. A mom and pop artisan merchant doesn’t have the money to weather slow business. The bigger chain store types have deeper pockets and will likely be able to handle the leases much better. So if Napoli expects banks and investors to get on board he will have to lease to these type of stores (likely chain). He has told us he has already spoken to banks and investors so we can safely assume he has articulated to them the types of retailers and merchants he expects to target. So why wont he tell us? Greenstein, the head of The Chamber of Commerce supports the Napoli plan. How can he support a plan that will potentially threaten the very merchants he proclaims to protect? How does he support the Napoli plan and not divulge to us which merchants he expects to be involved and which type merchants will be prohibited. Greenstein goes crazy when ever someone supports CC and says no supporter uses a real name. Well show me one Millwood or Chapp merchant that has come out and publicly endorsed and supported the Naploi plan. I certainly havent seen it or read it on any of these community blogs.
You make some good points. One interesting issue not often spoken about is that in order to do his plan, he needs the approval or agreement of at least 3 parties, One, is the school district. Two is the town because they have an easement for parking on some of the land he wants to use and three is the local building owners who own the land behind the stores up to the school field.
I find it hard to believe that those building owners which I think includes Bank of America would allow this project to go forward if they thought it would hurt their tenants. Obviously, enough revenue or purchase dollars from Napoli will overcome a fear of lost revenue from the store fronts on Greeley Ave, but I think the landlord's reaction is going to be very telling.
Another interesting point about the Napoli plan is that he said in response to a question at I think his presentation to the school board (watching all these meetings on line gets a little confusing at times) that he thought doing just the field and parking lot alone would be financially viable. That seems like a great way to go. Add additional parking for the merchants, maybe even for the Mt. Pleasant or Mt Kisco folks who want to take the train, and create field space for the school, town programs and residents, and that alone, without the shops or performance arts center might make sense.
I think The chamber has been doing great and I am just an observer. Good effort all around, good teamwork by the merchants. I think we all benefit from a strong downtown. I also think we should allow development of Chapp Crossing's retail for a proper grocery store. An equinox and something else that's not going to hurt downtown. I will always shop at Village Market and do so more than once a week, but I drive to Yonkers and Greenwich for milk and produce. And on the atmosphere issue, does anyone know if Walgreens will be putting up an awning or lit wooden sign or do they just get to pop up a neon sign a la Central Avenue? To sum up: Bobby Casual is a coward and a bit of a tool.
Do you really drive to Yonkers or Greenwich spending $4-8 dollars in gas to save $0.50 on a gallon of milk?
And what is "a bit of a tool"? Can I be an entire tool?
Rob,
You just proved my point. You did not read what I wrote. The first paragraph says this seems like a reasonable idea, yet you start with your ad hominem attacks. Attacking the person rather than the issue is a losing and immature posture that results in exactly what I am also talking about in my post, that the message may be getting obscured by the messenger.
P.K.,
While I appreciate your agreeing with me 100%, you are then doing exactly what I thought was an issue with Rob, that you are throwing out wild unsubstantiated opinions as fact. "Most likely national chains"? Come on. Who really knows. Also why is it a fact that the Napoli plan will destroy our merchants? It may, but none of us know.
Everyone,
To be clear, I am saying that supporting downtown is a good idea. While I think it is incumbent upon the merchants to present a good and needed product at a fair and reasonable price, I also think that locals have an obligation to shop locally if the merchants offer a good product or service at the reasonable cost.
I also think that the Chamber of Commerce is a good idea itself and can be a great advocate on behalf of the merchants which when you think about it is really being an advocate for the entire community.
My concern is that these two very good for the community ideas, the partnership between merchant and local consumer and the Chamber of Commerce being the appropriate vehicle for advocating for the local merchants are obscured by the heavy handed, misguided tactics of the messenger.
If, as Rob claims, the merchants can vote him out, that is a decent, not great, way to see if he has the support of the merchants with his tactics. Because, if he does I will reconsider my support of the merchants. However, note that his being elected to the post or not voted out could simply mean that no one else wants the job.
I happen to think more highly of the merchants than to think they support the heavy handed tactics that are actually alienating the local consumer.
Bobby COWARD,
What support do you have for your statement "alienating the local consumer"? Do you live in a cave?
"Bobby COWARD"? Now you're at the level of name calling. Come on Rob, you're bigger than that. Pro advice:Stick to your message. I almost think that this "Rob Greenstein" is not the real one and this is some sort of parody account.
If it makes who ever you are feel better, I will amend that statement to "alienating this local consumer and the 6 people with whom I spoke about the issue".
Btw, as for your attacks on the one-party system here in town, I fully support having choice. I think the local democratic machine is reminiscent of the Chicago days of yore when the first Mayor Daley ran the town with an iron fist. Talk about disappointing, too many of my neighbors blindly pull the lever for any democrat on the ballot. To have voted out Rob Castelli, the most straight shooting politician in generations who was this Town's biggest advocate in Albany fighting the union perks that are causing both the Town and the School budgets to get so muddled and bloated is beyond my reason.
It's a shame that people are allowed to attack others without using their real names. Somewhat cowardly, no??
Unlike the posters, I have no hidden agenda. Unlike the developer, I do not stand to benefit from the 120K retail development. Unlike the current members of the Town Board & the local Democratic machine, I do not have to worry about an upcoming election - since I am not running - and do not have to worry about defending an ill-conceived project - negotiated behind closed doors - that has zero support from the community. Or, I should say, ZERO support from those who understand the scope of this project. And ZERO support from those using their real names!
As far as my role with the Chamber of Commerce, don't worry, the merchants will soon have a chance to vote me out.
Unlike the two anonymous posters, however, I stand by my convictions. I am very proud of what we've accomplished with the Chamber.
I agree 100% with Bobby. The tactics of the messenger are deplorable and this is a smokescreen for his larger agenda. On the one hand he promotes our local merchants but behind the scenes he supports a plan to revitalize downtown that will bring in 20 additional stores with many of them most likely national chain stores. These new stores will desimate Millwood merchants and cripple downtown Chapp merchants, to say nothing of the construction disruption caused by building a 400 car garage and 5 story theater. Its a total joke. Not a single merchant has come out in favor of this revitalization plan. And he is SELF APPOINTED - not even elected head Chamber of Commerce.
This seems like a reasonable idea. Not sure why I should "commit" to spending anything much less $50, but knowing that spending locally directly helps the local economy as much as returning 2/3rds of every dollar spent to the community is a good thing.
Greenstein points out that this is about perception and marketing. He wants to create an atmosphere for the downtown hamlets. Ultimately, the merchants and the stores have to stand on their own. They have to offer products that the community wants, they have to offer them at a price that is reasonable vis a vis the cost of alternatives including time, gas, convenience, etc, and they have to offer a level of service that attracts repeat customers. No amount of perception changing, sprucing up or demanding no development at Chappaqua Crossing will change that.
If trying to make the downtowns have a more friendly and welcoming atmosphere is the goal, I think the Chamber should consider who their spokesperson should be. Greenstein's attempts on NewCastleNow to intimidate, respond to every criticism and his making unsubstantiated claims about the various development scenarios in town have distracted the community from his message. Rather than having the focus be on the merchants and the town, he is pulling the focus onto himself.
It is a shame that a positive and productive message of coming downtown to try the local merchants is obscured by the tactics of the messenger.