Mayor Richard Thomas' Weekly Report
City of Mount Vernon, New York
December 15, 2018
Mount Vernon Unveils First Arts, Culture & Heritage Master Plan - Designed to Spur Economic Growth
Mayor
Richard Thomas unveiled Mount Vernon’s first Arts, Culture &
Heritage Master Plan, a blueprint for economic development that
capitalizes on the city’s rich history as a home to legendary singers,
actors and entertainers, such as Nina Simone, Denzel Washington, Dick
Clark. P. Diddy and Heavy D to name a few.
The
product of months collaboration among artists, community members,
business leaders, professional planners and city officials, the Master
Plan includes 21 recommendations, which are designed to help local
businesses capture the almost $400 million that Mount Vernon residents
spend outside the city each year, as well as generate new revenue.
“The Master Plan builds on Mount Vernon‘s strengths,” Mayor Thomas
said. “We have the talent — arts and culture have long been part of
Mount Vernon’s DNA — and we have the location — more affordable than New
York City but just minutes away. Combine that with the right incentives
and you create a new cultural destination that grows our economy now
and into the future.”
Planning Commissioner Chantelle Okarter emphasized that an “incentive
community input process.” which included surveys and large and small
group conversations and meetings, went into developing the
recommendations. She thanked CJAM Consulting for spearheading the effort
and the New York State Council on the Arts for funding the initiative.
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