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N1: The sidewalk on Harlem's main drag is full of vendors and shoppers at noon. But behind them, Mart 125 is dark, and inside, abandoned shelves are gathering dust. Manhattan borough president Virginia Fields plans to renovate the Mart. Her 4.4 million dollar project would put a major retail store - paying full-price rent - on the first floor. The big retailer could subsidize as many as ten small businesses on the second floor. Fields' spokesman for the project, Kevin Alexander, explains. (31 sec)
KEVIN ALEXANDER: Their cost might be 20 to 25 dollars per square foot, whereas if it was market rate it could be 50 to 60 dollars per square foot. (7 sec)
N2: It's the second try for Mart 125. In 1986, a state program brought fifty Harlem vendors off the sidewalk and into the Mart, creating an indoor marketplace. But the building fell into disrepair, and the vendors stopped paying rent. The city got control of the property and evicted the vendors after a court battle. One of the site's current developers, Jeffery Brooker, also managed the old Mart in the '90's. He says the city will scrutinize prospective businesses - something they didn't do before. (26 sec)
JEFFREY BROOKER: Whoever was on the street, we were almost obligated, given the plan, to try to accommodate them. This go-around we're going to be quite a bit more interested in their real track record and their business plans and financial capabilities, etc. (15 sec)
N3: The tenants will be selected by the developer, called Harlem LLC, Virginia Field's office, and the city. The developer will pay about 3.2 million dollars toward construction of two additional floors, while the borough president will contribute 800 thousand dollars from her office's capital fund. The plan allows the small businesses on the second floor to stay as long as they want - there's no cap on the lease. And when a small business does leave, it will get 100 thousand dollars to help it succeed. Even with these provisions, some Harlem residents are not happy that a big retailer will get the prime first-floor spot. Zan Zion, a vendor selling black pride books from a table outside the Mart, says it's not what Harlem needs. (41 sec)
ZAN ZION: They said that Harlem was supposed to be set aside for the small businessman. They got an Apollo right here, they got foot locker on the corner, they got North Fork Bank two blocks over, everybody's big business. (10 sec)
N4: But the plan has already been approved by the community board and the city planning commission. Next month, Virginia Field's office will put out a call for local entrepreneurs to apply for spots in the new Mart 125. Elsa Heidorn, Columbia Radio News. (18 sec)