By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced the appointment of Dynishal Gross as the commissioner of the City Department of Small Business Services.
Gross, a veteran of the department who previously served as acting commissioner and executive deputy commissioner, will lead the agency charged with creating the environment to support small businesses, spur job growth, and build thriving neighborhoods across the five boroughs.
His predecessor, Kevin Kim, announced in May that he would be stepping down to spend more time with his family.
On Tuesday, Adams and Gross also announced milestones in storefront vacancy declines. Nearly 40,000 storefronts have opened since the start of the Adams administration in 2022, and the storefront vacancy rate has dropped for three consecutive quarters to 11.15 percent in Quarter 2 of 2024 from 11.6 percent in Quarter 4 of 2023, with storefront vacancy rates lower than pre-pandemic levels in several boroughs and neighborhoods.
The Big Apple has reached a record of 183,000 small businesses across the city—the most in its history. Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island all have vacancy rates below 9 percent, with Manhattan seeing the biggest drop in vacancy over three quarters by nearly 1.3 percentage points. Industries with the highest growth include restaurants and hospitality, with over 7,000 new storefronts since Quarter 1 of 2020; groceries and convenience stores with over 4,500 openings; and barber shops and hair salons, business and professional services, and health care storefronts with over 2,000 new openings each.
“When diverse New Yorkers pursue and achieve their dreams of business ownership, New York City wins,” Gross said. “When our workforce system makes strong matches between businesses and jobseekers, New York City wins. And when commercial corridors across the five boroughs shine at the intersection of commerce and community, New York City wins.
Additionally, Adams and Gross noted that the administration is awarding $4.8 million to 64 neighborhood organizations to facilitate merchant organizing and the development of small business improvement districts. Merchant Organizing Strategic Impact Grants will go to 11 neighborhood-based nonprofit organizations to both form new merchants associations and support existing ones. Projects and services will include initiatives such as merchant engagement and demonstration initiatives that showcase the long-term advantages of local organizing. These efforts may include supplemental sanitation, beatification, and business attraction strategies.
Citywide Small BID Support Grants will go to 44 organizations to help small commerce districts—including the Woodhaven BID—with technical assistance, including consultations, workshops, and planning.
“We are thrilled to see the New York City Department of Small Business Services investing over $4.8 million into neighborhood development grants that will empower organizations across the city to strengthen their local economies,” said Tom Grech, president and CEO, Queens Chamber of Commerce. “In Queens, our small businesses are the backbone of vibrant communities, and these resources will help them continue to grow, innovate, and thrive. The reduction in storefront vacancies across the city is a testament to the resilience of our business owners and the targeted support they’ve received. We are excited to work with Commissioner Gross and her team to build on the progress we have made, and we congratulate her on this well-deserved appointment.”
