Take Back NYC’s opening webpage states, “These small businesses – hard working New Yorkers who form the heart and soul of the greatest city on earth – are being replaced by the highest bidder, big box stores and chains whose only motivation is greater profits.” I think it is important to note the passion behind Take Back NYC. They feel that New York City has been taken from them by big businesses. They feel that “the heart and soul” of New York City is being lost. And although I agree with them in worrying what New York City will look like in 5, 10, or 20 years. I do not fully agree with everything that mention in SBJSA.
As a possible solution to sustain local businesses, The Small Business Jobs Survival Act (SBJSA) is a bill that has been introduced in the NYC City Council that would give commercial tenants three specific rights:
- A minimum 10-year lease with the right to renewal, so they can better plan for the future of their business.
- Equal negotiation terms when it comes time to renew their lease with recourse to binding arbitration by a 3rd party if fair terms cannot be found.
- Restrictions to prevent landlords from passing their property taxes on to small business owners.
Last week we discussed the importance of local business, and this week has confirmed that when local businesses are forced to close because they can’t afford rent anymore, and a big chain store takes its place, it introduces gentrification in that area and although I think SNJSA is a great start to protecting local business owners, I’m afraid that a more efficient bill should be introduced to the NYC Council. What I mean is that I would like to see a bill that regulates property taxes, or introduces rent-controlled priced for local businesses, and possibly even rent-frozen prices for start-ups. I say this because local business owners can’t predict the economy or what NYC will look like in 2 years, let alone 10 years. If the economy had a pretty devastating year, and that year is enough to drive a small business to close, that local business will have been cheated a longer life because their weren’t enough laws put in place to protect it. In addition, when the economy fluctuates, people cannot afford to spend, which is why business owner Avi Saks does no want to pass his business down to his son. “Saks knows it’s not possible to raise a modern family on the revenue the once-thriving shop is now producing.” There could also be a bill that offers landlords incentives to keep the price of rent low for local businesses.
I agree with Tim Laughlin, executive director of the BID, in saying that, “If the goal is to preserve affordable housing and at the same time to protect independent businesses,” Laughlin argued, “we need to provide incentives for property owners to continue to operate their buildings.” How brilliant would it be if a bill or law gave incentives to tenants to keep the rents low for home-renters and business-renters? This could help people who can’t afford to live and people who can’t afford to work in NYC. Laughlin explains that offering tenants lower tax rates could do this. I think this brilliant! It would be able to keep people living in an area as well as working in an area as well. I see this as a potential tool against gentrification as well as protection.
I also think that community boards, and specifically local business owners, should be able to voice their thoughts when a big brand chain is introduced in their area. Giving them a voice would better represent what that neighborhood wants. If a bodega goes out of business in a particular neighborhood and a Key Foods is going to open in its place, what are the people in that neighborhood going to do if they can’t speak English or find the things they need. There needs to be more power allocated to community boards because it is their community that is changing, and unfortunately, most of the time their vices aren’t heard. Community boards need to be able to give more influence when a big business is going to come into the area because like Elisa Maldonado said, ‘“I feel [The Cast] is representative of the culture that was the Lower East Side,” she explained. “It’s about keeping that spirit, identifying with it and [making a statement that] “we do belong there!”’ So when a local business closes, the culture, spirit, or even authenticity of that area changes, and that directly affects the people living there.
Three Questions for Local Business Owners:
- How has the neighborhood/area changed since your business has been here?
- How do you see the neighborhood/area changing in the future?
- What do you wish you had known before opening a business here?
