Four members of the Great Neck Plaza Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors were re-elected at a recent board meeting.
Allen Honig, Peter Andreasian and David Eshaghoff were re-elected as Class A board members, which are property owners in the business improvement district.
Scott Zimmerman was re-elected as a Class B board member, which are tenants in commercial properties within the district.
Honig, who has been a board member since the BID was established in 1990, is a second-generation owner of Poultry Mart, a food establishment located on Middle Neck Road, according to a BID press release.
“Great Neck has been good to Poultry Mart over the decades, and I believe it is my responsibility to give back to the community that has been so kind to my family and my employees,” he said. “Serving on the BID Board is one way I can do this. It gives me a chance to help organize and participate in events, such as our promenade summer nights, holiday promotions, street festival/autofest, this summer’s planned cultural day, Plaza Halloween and others designed to provide entertainment for our community as well as stimulate business for our merchants.
“I consider this an honor,” Honig added.
Andreasian is the owner/broker of real estate brokerage Exit Realty Universal, which has offices on Bond Street.
He and his sister, Marguerite White, manage several retail properties on Middle Neck Road, Grace Avenue and Bond Street, according to the release.
“Maintaining a strong downtown, even in the face of economic challenges and changing demographics and shopping trends, has been one of the reasons Great Neck remains one of the most desirable communities on Long Island,” Andreasian said.
He was first elected to the BID board in the early 1990s, according to the release.
“Back then, the local business district was evolving in front of our eyes and we’re fortunate that the BID was formed to help ensure the village evolved in sync with the downtown,” Andreasian said. “Serving on the BID board gives me an opportunity to have an impact on the programs and initiatives that are undertaken to help support the vibrancy of the business district.”
Eshaghoff is the founder and president of Escho Real Estate & Management on Cutter Mill Road, which owns commercial office space in the Plaza and commercial properties across Long Island and in Manhattan, according to the release.
He began serving on the BID board, the release said, in March 2013.
“The downtown is truly the life-blood of our community. A strong downtown is an attraction for businesses wanting to rent office space here,” Eshaghoff said. “We need to keep the downtown moving forward, we need to advocate for zoning and local initiatives that make the downtown more livable and convenient for both residents and businesses and we need to be creative in our marketing of the downtown to the office tenants that are here as well as to shoppers from our own and neighboring communities.”
Eshaghoff also serves as treasurer for the BID.
Zimmerman, who owns both Aura Salon and Style Lounge, began serving on the board in March 2014.
He also serves as president of the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce.
When Zimmerman first joined the board, the release said, he said he wanted more merchants involved with the BID and better collaboration between the BID and the Chamber of Commerce.
“I realize the past couple of years have been difficult for many of our merchants, but I do believe we are on an upswing and that we will see better times ahead,” he said. “Part of making that happen is for the BID to keep putting forth programs that will attract not only Great Neck residents, but shoppers from our neighboring communities.
“That is why I wanted to join the BID Board — to make a difference in what those programs and efforts are that will benefit all the merchants in the Plaza,” Zimmerman said.
According to the release, Zimmerman has been coordinating a program between the BID and Chamber of Commerce that would put on a summer fashion show including products and services from hair salons, clothing boutiques and other fashion accessory stores across the Great Neck peninsula.
