The Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) has changed its leadership after longtime President and Chairperson Ted Renz announced his retirement in June. Renz has spent the last four months helping his replacement, Laura Seidel, learn the ins and outs of Ridgewood.
The BID has been supporting the businesses of Ridgewood from Wyckoff Avenue to Fresh Pond Road since 1988 by organizing events, beautifying the neighborhood and offering marketing assistance for its members.
“It’s good to pass the baton to someone who has the same energy I did when I was that age. Seidel lives in the neighborhood, and she has a vested interest in it,” Renz said. “She’s going to bring new energy and new life to the programs in our district, and we look forward to it.”
Seidel moved to New York 12 years ago after completing her degree in architecture at Northeastern University in Boston and worked as an architect for another BID in the lower east side of Manhattan. After moving to Ridgewood earlier this year, Seidel looked for another local BID for employment since she appreciates the work they enable her to do for communities.
“Every BID is really rooted within its neighborhood,” Seidel said. “I love the work they do and I feel fortunate that I get to work for the type of organization I want within my own neighborhood.”
Seidel received a warm welcome and has been given a “wealth of knowledge” from Renz, Assistant Director Ann Giarratano and the longtime BID members. On top of the practical advice on how to communicate with the many different stake holders, Seidel appreciated hearing the little details: she lives on the same block Renz’s grandmother once did and in the same building where there was once a knitting and textiles factory.
After interviewing for the position, Renz says he chose Seidel because he was impressed with her previous work and background in architecture, as Ridgewood’s unique architectural appeal has always been a draw to the neighborhood. At 74 years old, Renz and his work with BID and the Ridgewood Local Development Corporation (RLDC) played an important part in improving local businesses and the neighborhood as a whole.
According to CB5 Managing Director Gary Giordano, the street was in disrepair when he moved to Ridgewood in 1975, before BID and RLDC were formed.
“Myrtle Avenue was significantly run down… it was not looking good. There were abandoned stores with windows smashed,” Gioradano said. “In large measure because of Ted’s leadership and that BID, it became much more stable and one of the cleanest avenues you could see.”
Though he’s “too humble to brag” about it, Giordano says Renz’s, the RLDC’s and BID’s greatest achievement is the renovation and expansion of the Myrtle Wyckoff train station in the early 2000s, which was a $51 million project and brought much needed foot traffic back to the area. The station originally opened in 1889 around the back of a local drugstore, but hadn’t been remodeled since 1946. Among improvements were lighting upgrades, stairway reconfigurations, new interior finishes, and a new communication system. Elevators were added in 2007, making it one of New York’s few accessible train stations.
Renz announced his retirement during a ceremony that celebrated the life and legacy of BID’s founding president: Herman Hochberg, who died in 2023 at the age of 93. If that name sounds familiar, it’s likely because you’ve spent time in the plaza named after him, located at 71st Street and Myrtle Avenue A friend and colleague of Hochberg, who owned a local liquor store, Renz says the man was always amiable and talked for as long as you wanted if you popped into his store and as a fellow founding member credits him as the BID’s true “visionary.”
“I love the community and will continue to be active on all of the boards that I serve,” Hochberg said in 2016. “I just want to thank the community for giving me a good run. I made many friends and am proud of the accomplishments of the BID and LDC and hope they continue.”
Sen. Joe Addabbo used to work with Renz back before the 2022 redistricting that removed Ridgewood from his area. Addabbo praised Renz for his ability to communicate effectively with local officials like him about the most pressing issues, the work BID does beautifying the neighborhood and hosting events like the annual Spring Street Festival.
However, as a fellow advocate for local businesses, Addabbo believes the role of the BID will change in the coming years due to rising inflation and the change in mayor, and hopes Seidel will continue the BID’s work and be prepared to help with new issues that arise.
“It’s difficult to forecast the future, but we play a unique role in the ecosystem of local businesses,” Seidel said. “A lot of our initiatives involve driving local foot traffic and taking care of the public realm in general, so I know we’ll be able to respond… and support local businesses more.”
Seidel has already brought new ideas to the table, like starting an Instagram page for the organization to better reach business owners and residents. Marketing is an important aspect for a BID, and Seidel says people will only support their BID if they can actually see the work it does for the community and hopes she can be as effective as her predecessor at rallying the members together.
“It’s always a priority; making sure people connect the things we do with our name,” Seidel said. “As you’re walking around talking to people, they say they know the street fair, the music in the plaza and the holiday lights, but they don’t know what the BID is.”
Before leaving, Renz worked to incorporate the businesses on Fresh Pond Road, which is its current border. According to Seidel, the process takes around two years and she’s looking forward to continuing the expansion of the BID to Fresh Pond Road and further. On top of expanding, Seidel plans to host more events like an art gallery this winter to highlight locals’ creativity and add more planters around the neighborhood.
Renz believes the BID is in good hands, but will continue his work in the community serving as a CB5 board member, which he joined in 1979, until his term is over in two years. After which he hopes Seidel will take his place.
When asked about hobbies and what he would like to do now, Renz said he plans to spend more time with his family and traveling abroad. Just don’t ask him to play a round of golf, as the only time Renz ever played about 40 years ago, a security guard politely asked him to leave after receiving “complaints” he was taking too long on each hole.
“I have cousins in Germany and my wife has cousins in Italy, but I’ll enjoy the more relaxed schedule… but no, I’m not a golfer.”
