So Where Does the Mayor Stand on 2nd Avenue Relief?
July 17, 2009
Looking south from corner of East 94th St. and Second Ave. Photo courtesy of The Launch Box.
Does the Mayor care about Second Avenue’s small businesses or doesn’t he?
Back in February, at a press conference to mark the beginning of construction on the MTA’s Number 7 train extension project, Mayor Bloomberg made a point of talking about the suffering of small business owners in the Second Avenue Subway construction zone:
“[The construction] is literally destroying every business on Second Avenue,” the mayor said at a press conference intended to show off a 100-ton cutting head that was to begin churning out the West Side extension for the 7 train.
“It is an economic disaster for the people who have stores and restaurants on Second Avenue and we have to find something to do for them.”
I am all too familiar with the disaster facing small business owners in the Second Avenue Subway project area. The new subway line will be great for New York in the long run, but the construction process is devastating the neighborhood. These small business owners are being asked to sacrifice on behalf of the public interest, and we owe it to them to find a way to help weather the storm.
This is why I sponsor legislation (A.3949/S.1393-Serrano) to provide targeted relief to small business owners, by giving their landlords an incentive to lower their rents. My bill gives property tax breaks to building owners in the construction zone if they renegotiate leases at lower rates for small business tenants. This bill gives Second Avenue’s businesses a a fighting chance, and in tough economic times it will help preserve the city’s tax base by working to prevent the shuttering of a once-dynamic commercial neighborhood.
The relief bill passed the Assembly last month, and for the second time in two years. But yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg instructed Republican State Senators to oppose the legislation, and without any GOP support, the measure could not come to a vote.
If the Mayor recognizes that the construction is an “economic disaster” for Second Avenue, and says that “something” should be done to aid the suffering businesses, why is he standing in the way of actual efforts to help?
Interviewed on PBS
July 10, 2009
Recently, I was featured in a lengthy interview with Dara Welles on WLIW 21’s “New York Insiders.”
We had a great conversation about what’s next for New York City’s schools, as well as Second Avenue Subway construction issues - and we also discussed broader topics like marriage equality, disability rights, the upheaval in the State Senate, and my own plans for the future.
PBS is linking things strangely, so when you click to see the video of my interview the title will read Suffolk County Legislator Steve Levy - but don’t worry, it’s me.
Second Avenue Small Business Tax Relief Bill Passes Assembly
June 25, 2008
Close to midnight last night, my Second Avenue Subway small business tax relief bill passed the New York State Assembly as we wrapped up the 2008 legislative session.
A.10924 offers a property tax abatement to property owners if they are able to sign or re-negotiate a reduced lease to current or prospective small business commercial tenants located in the construction area. The bill is sponsored in the State Senate by Senator José Serrano. While the bill has yet to pass there, the Senate bill has moved to committee and the Senate will reconvene in July.
Construction began on the most recent incarnation of the MTA’s Second Avenue Subway project in April 2007. Due to rising construction costs, the MTA recently announced that the first phase of the construction—from 96th Street to 63rd Street—will be delayed by two years, moving the completion date of this phase to 2015.
When the construction is finally complete and the new subway line opens for business, what kind of neighborhood will be there to greet it? Will we have driven Second Avenue’s small businesses into extinction or will we still have the same vibrant, family-friendly community we knew before the construction began? By passing this legislation, the Assembly has demonstrated its commitment to giving small business owners a fair shake and preserving the community we know and love.
New Legislation to Support Second Avenue’s Small Businesses
June 12, 2008
I’m a big supporter of the Shop 2nd Avenue campaign and its mission. Visit their website to find out more.
On May 5, I introduced A.10924 a bill to ease the burden of subway construction on Second Avenue’s hard-working small business owners. My bill is designed to help small businesses by offering property tax relief to landlords who agree to sign or re-negotiate reduced-cost leases for their small business commercial tenants. Senator José Serrano is sponsoring this bill in the State Senate.
I’m also proud to co-sponsor legislation (A.10594/S.8154) introduced by my colleagues, Assembly Member Jonathan Bing and Senator José Serrano, which would create an economic development grant program to provide financial and technical assistance to small businesses in the affected area.
The Second Avenue Subway will bring tremendous benefits to the East Side (and to the whole metropolitan area) in the long run. But during the lengthy construction period - which will last well over two and a half decades - residents, business, and property owners within the affected area will suffer. Already, small business owners along Second Avenue between 91st and 96th Streets have seen dramatic losses in business since construction began, as they face torn-up sidewalks, impeded pedestrian access, lost signage, revoked sidewalk café licenses, and interruptions in utility service.
These business owners have worked hard to overcome such challenges, and I’m proud to support their Shop Second Avenue campaign, which highlights all the many wonderful stores and restaurants Second Avenue has to offer. But I also believe that, since these New Yorkers are making a sacrifice for the betterment of the East Side and the entire region, it is important that New York State lend a helping hand.
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My community office is here to help you.
315 East 65 Street
New York, NY 10065
Tel 212-860-4906
Fax 917-432-2983
Email KellnerM@assembly.state.ny.us
