About the Connection
Launched in July 2009, the Hudson Square Connection (HSC) is one of the City’s 73 Business Improvement Districts (BID). A mid-sized BID with a budget of $2.5 million and a staff of 6, we are leading the neighborhood’s transformation into a major creative hub, home to over 40,000 people working in advertising, design, media, communications, and other cutting edge businesses. Our district is generally bounded by West Houston Street on the north, Canal Street on the south, 6th Avenue on the east, and Greenwich Street on the west.
HSC’s mission, in part, is to capture the spirit of innovation that is thriving in the commercial spaces and bring that energy into the public realm to foster a vibrant, 24-7, campus-like community. In support of that vision,
HSC and the City of New York are in the midst of implementing a five-year, $27 million streetscape improvement plan that is transforming the ground-floor environment of Hudson Square into a place for people. These capital improvements, which are being implemented over multiple phases and include the planting and retrofitting of approximately 250 trees and the reconstruction of Spring Street Park at one of the key gateways into the neighborhood, will continue to enhance the pedestrian environment and boost foot traffic throughout the BID. Currently, HSC’s maintenance responsibilities are limited to improvements that we install. The scope of our maintenance and service responsibilities will substantially expand with the opening of Spring Street Park in the fall of 2018.
The Hudson Square Connection is a 501c3, funded primarily through the payment of an annual assessment on commercial property. The NYC Department of Finance disburses these funds to the BID through a contract with the Department of Small Business Services.
About the Position
The BID is seeking a summer intern to work alongside the Operations and Management team on a major initiative to build a comprehensive database on infrastructure and property in the District. Specifically, the intern will collect and validate streetscape, building, and tenant data through research and field visits. This information will be utilized by a consultant for the launch of a new, comprehensive database that will inform maintenance responsibilities and the allocation of resources moving forward. This renewed focus on data collection is part of a larger institutional goal to improve the BID’s services and reporting.
Specific Responsibilities
• Collect and update building, storefront, tenant, company, contact, and board data
• Conduct field research on streetscape infrastructure (trees, bike racks, benches, LinkNYC, Wayfinding, etc.)
• Work with Management & Operations team and consultant on Salesforce database launch
• Work on other BID initiatives (Expansion, Hudson Street, etc.) as time allows and needs arise
Qualifications
• Extremely detail-oriented and self-driven; strong organizational and time-management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent working knowledge of MS Excel, specifically in a database capacity
• Proficient in MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Interest in database management, urban planning, real estate, government, public policy, and/or non-
profits
This is a paid internship commensurate with education level and work experience. Current undergraduate students, prospective graduate students, as well as recent college graduates are encouraged to apply. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to the attention of Michael Portegies-Zwart, Senior Program Associate, Management + Operations, at mportegieszwart@hudsonsquarebid.org with “Summer 2017 Internship” in the subject line. Please apply by EOB Friday, May 26th 2017.
