The Garment District local planning committee met Wednesday morning for the primary in a series of meetings slated under the state’s district revival initiative.

In February, Recent York Governor Kathy Hochul granted the storied garment zone $4.5 million through the state’s NY Forward program for neighborhood revitalization. In all, the NY Forward program mobilizes $100 million to support equitable recovery, following the COVID-19 pandemic, mirroring that of a previous successful initiative called Downtown Revitalization.

The Garment District, per local nonprofit Garment District Alliance’s formal definition, encompasses 24 blocks, 6,500 businesses, 75,000 employees and is visually denoted by a colossal yellow button statue, balanced on a 28-foot-high needle on Seventh Avenue at thirty ninth Street. The district is among the many least populated neighborhoods in Recent York City and has struggled to balance its fashion history with industrial and residential rezoning. The pandemic-spawned business closures, hotel vacancies and crime (an increase also reported by garment manufacturers) only added to those challenges.

On the time, Hochul said the investment will enhance the style capital with “placemaking” and “public realm improvements” that may guide the way in which through the district’s next century. Under Hochul’s “plan-then-act” strategy, businesses and native stakeholders are in command of steering the funding, maintenance, improvement and promotion of their industrial districts.

The garment district local planning committee will meet roughly five times to develop the strategic investment plan. Meetings are open to the general public and anyone is welcome to attend partly or in full. Katie Sue Nicklos, chief executive officer of Wing & Weft Gloves, is the only factory representative on the local planning committee. The glove-making business, which she’s helmed since in 2017, has been around since 1973.

In an email, Nicklos said she is proud to represent the historic neighborhood and appears forward to subsequent meetings (though dates should not yet set). She is desirous to showcase progress to Hochul, ensuring businesses like hers not only stay put but profit amid growing industrial needs.

While the primary meeting set the tone for the motion plan, with attendees voicing challenges and opportunities for neighborhood improvements within the Garment District, the next meetings will outline specific fundable projects.