Mayor Cory A. Booker cut the ribbon to the Sixth Boro clothing store on Thursday July 22, 2010. Sixth Boro is a high quality affordable with a state of the art facility in the heart of South Ward's Clinton Avenue and Bergen Street. Sixth Boro carries name brand clothing and sneakers. Six years ago, the owner opened his first store in Jersey City, NJ. After their positive experience, they moved to this location. They are confident to be a part of the community and hoping to get the same response like they received at Jersey City.
Mayor Booker said, "In the last three or four years, we have been able to do what other cities aren't doing. We in Newark, through the investment in our resources, created a large fund of capital. The Grow America Fund has been tremendous... We're going to build Newark back, create jobs, opportunities for families, and a higher quality of life not through government not through non-profits but by growing our local business base. If you look around America, not the large corporations are creating job opportunities. The major source of job creation in America is small businesses. That's really our strategy and our focus here in the city of Newark. We will continue to provide technical expertise, bonding insurance support, capital, and working partnerships with Rutgers University and the Grow America Fund to make sure that we expand. The challenge for us going forward is to get our business sector thriving again. Bergen Street, Clinton Avenue, all across our city, Springfield Avenue, South Orange Avenue. These major commercial corridors must thrive again.
"We frame our economic development goals around three things, and this neighborhood reflects on all of them. One is to focus on affordable housing. Newark must be able to use affordable housing to leverage local jobs. We're already working on a project right up the street here to create the first veterans housing in partnership with Brad Pitt in decades in the city of Newark right here in the South Ward on Clinton Avenue...We have the South precinct right here in South Ward. The third area is growing businesses, creating entrepreneurs. I want to thank the entrepreneurs. It takes a lot, as Councilman Baraka would say, to risk your own money in an endeavor... Newark residents were spending almost a billion dollars outside of the city to buy clothing, go to restaurants and other things. We need to bring those resources back, especially when we have great stores like this one."
Charles Juliano, from the Grow America Fund said, "It's tremendous leadership... My boss Stefan Pryor tells me that we are in a tough marketplace, but there is an opportunity out there."
Deputy Mayor Stefan Pryor said, "When Mayor Booker took office, we did not have a small business fund in Newark. There was no loan fund. There was no technical assistance. We really had no development corporation infrastructure to carry out those functions. Mayor Booker said that there is no bigger priority then helping small, local minority enterprises. Find the resources. Today, under Darryl's leadership, we have committed over 5 million dollars of loans, which only require a million dollar contribution to the Grow America Fund from the city of Newark...We are enjoying the multiplying effects to the investments we are making in these businesses...Mayor Booker pioneered when he was in the municipal council...We are seeing jobs created. This is the right kind of bottom-up economic development that our residents can form businesses, create wealth and assets, and create jobs."
Mr. Pryor thanked Councilman Oscar James, Jr., Councilman Ras Baraka, and council President Donald Payne, Jr. as staunch supporters of the program.
Councilman Ras Baraka said, "Clinton Avenue was a blighted area for over 30 years. I applaud Sixth Boro for investing in our community, which is necessary. I grew up in this neighborhood. I knew what it looked like before... I wish that Sixth Boro lasts in our neighborhood for 20, 30 years, more like the previous owner did. I am sure we are going to have a great partnership. Hopefully, you will be an example for other businesses to come to our community and have faith in our neighborhood."
Councilman Donald Payne, Jr. said, "This is a magnificent store. My congratulations to the owners, as someone has to take a chance. The opportunities are out there. Go out in the wilderness and set the example."
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