Supporting Small Business
With support from the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, MHP has been actively engaged in the Long Branch and Bonifant neighborhoods for many years, including through the challenges of the pandemic. MHP also is engaging with the community of Lyttonsville.
The vibrant, diverse community of Long Branch sits between Takoma Park and downtown Silver Spring, and is home to small businesses and neighborhoods with a strong international flavor.
The Discover Long Branch! campaign regularly sponsors outdoor and indoor events that have helped rebrand Long Branch as a family-friendly and creative place.
The Discover Bonifant campaign supports and promotes Bonifant Street businesses in between Georgia Avenue and Fenton Street. With its diverse culture and product and service offerings, Bonifant Street is truly a hidden gem in Silver Spring. Stop by and visit Bonifant Street and you will be welcomed with a great spirited business community.
As part of MHP’s core mission to strengthen neighborhoods, MHP staff are assisting the business community in many efforts, including the creation of the Long Branch Business League, along with the Discover Long Branch! initiative. This initiative has helped transform the image of Long Branch’s commercial center by bringing art, murals, color and creativity to Long Branch.
Similarly, MHP helped create the Discover Bonifant initiative in the nearby Bonifant community of Silver Spring. Programs to support small businesses, especially challenged by the pandemic, have included virtual trivia (w/takeout) nights and ribbon-cuttings to celebrate businesses opening and re-opening.
The neighborhood of Lyttonsville is the future site of Purple Line station. The community was founded in 1853 by freed slave Samuel Lytton. The neighborhood was significantly disrupted under the banner of “urban renewal” in the 1970s. MHP is working with residents and small businesses to plan events and place-based initiatives to support growth, visibility and sustainability.
MHP is actively engaged in efforts to preserve the character and strengths of these neighborhoods to respond to the short- and long-term impacts of Purple Line. These include quality of life and economic challenges caused by disruption from construction and the potential for current residents and businesses to get priced out of their neighborhoods.