Tough Times Lead to Vacant Storefronts

By Tamara Best

Since the economic downturn began, “for rent” and “for sale” signs have become more common as small business owners close their doors. Jamaica Avenue, one of the main streets for commerce throughout Queens, has been hit especially hard. According to a new study, one in five stores on the avenue—Woodhaven’s commercial hub—are vacant.

The study, conducted by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills), looked at 10 of the busiest streets in different areas of the borough. On average, the borough had a vacancy rate of 12 percent. Areas from the survey included portions of Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park, Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven, Austin Street in Forest Hills and Myrtle Avenue in Glendale. The vacancy rates in Glendale and Forest Hills were among the lowest, at eight percent and seven percent respectively.

“Small businesses are the backbone of New York City’s economy, and they have borne the brunt of our nation’s recent downturn,” Weiner said.

According to the study, a total of 206 storefronts were closed of the 1,716 surveyed, with 73 stores vacant on Jamaica Avenue alone. (See sidebar for statistics on the other areas surveyed). Other neighborhoods surveyed included Rockaway, Astoria, Flushing, Bayside, Jamaica and Sunnyside.

Seth Bornstein, executive director of the Queens Economic Development Center, said that the lack of access to resources can hinder business on major commercial strips.

“With the economy, it affects all parts of business so people are hesitant to start businesses because they can’t get the capital,” he said. “Small businesses need improved access to capital in addition to counseling.”

However, he noted that despite the vacancies, the local economy remains solid.

“The overall economy in Queens is relatively stable,” he said. “There has been growth in immigrant communities and we believe that small business can compete with the proper access.”

Bornstein said that in tough economic times, landlords must also change the way they rent space to tenants.

“Some landlords hold out, thinking they will get top dollar,” he said. “A smart landlord doesn’t keep a space vacant for a year— it’s bad for everybody for when businesses come in and out.”

Bornstein said landlords need to be more realistic about what they can get for their property and focus on finding tenants with good credit and a solid plan to grow their business.

Maria Thomson, executive director of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation and the Woodhaven Business Improvement District, said that business owners that can afford it should think beyond renting.

“There’s nothing like owning your own building because you don’t have to worry about the rent as much,” she said, adding that the current economic downturn could allow potential owners to buy property at a reduced value. “A lot of people in Woodhaven have sustained themselves that way.”

Thomson said it is also important for local business associations to promote their commercial strip as being vital to economic prosperity during and after the recession.

Weiner said that, “helping small business owners get back on their feet should be our number one priority.”

In an effort to help small businesses recover, Weiner is proposing a five point plan: tax breaks for small businesses that offer health insurance, tax breaks for new hires, greater access to capital small business loans, a five minute grace period for drivers with an expired parking meter and a mobile van to handle permit violations.

Thomson also said that residents purchasing goods in their neighborhood can help more businesses stay open.

“Stay local, the shopping is more personal,” she said. “That way your avenue and your community will flourish.”

Seller Beware: Wide Range in Prices Offered for Gold

Sellers Must Shop Around Before Parting with Jewelry

By Conor Greene

With the economy down and the price of gold up, many residents are turning to their old and broken jewelry for a source of some quick cash. However, if you’re not careful and don’t take certain steps, there is a good chance of being ripped off in the process.

In light of this trend, a local elected official is warning would-be gold sellers about one particular scam, in which a company called Cash4Gold often pays between just 11 percent and 29 percent of the current market price for gold. Local pawn shops are only marginally better, generally offering between 35 percent and 70 percent of the value.

On a recent afternoon, The Forum took a first hand look at the market residents face in order to get a better idea of how close local pawnshops and jewelry stores come to offering full market value for an assortment of old gold bracelets and pendants. To do this, a reporter took the items to Marlowe Jewelers in Howard Beach, where owner Dennis Croce determined that the jewelry was worth about $1,995.

While the reporter knew exactly how much the items were worth, he set out to six local buyers, playing dumb in order to see what kind of offers would be made. First up was Gold Rush, located at 105-14 Crossbay Boulevard in Ozone Park, just south of Liberty Avenue. After checking each piece of gold, the clerk offered just $1,125 for the jewelry. Likely based upon the expression on the reporter’s face, he quickly said he could make a much better price and punched some numbers into the calculator before offering $1,350.

Next up was Village Cash for Gold at 80-10 Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven. The clerk immediately boasted that he doesn’t “play around” and makes fair offers. He came pretty close to the gold’s actual value, offering $1,700. However, the clerk looked like he expected a deal to be made, and it took a minor amount of insisting that the offer needed to be mulled over before the clerk handed the gold back to the reporter.

A few blocks down at Metropolitan Pawnbrokers, 92-16A Jamaica Avenue, the reporter encountered what would ultimately turn out to be the fairest offer of the day. The clerk, who was one of just two who asked where the male reporter had gotten the women’s jewelry, urged him to shop around and then come back with the highest offer, and said the gold was worth at least $1,900. He also advised not to tell other buyers what offers had been made prior in order to get the best price possible.

The fourth store visited was The Gold Standard on Austin Street in Forest Hills, where the clerk first offered $1,500 before upping the price to $1,650 – at least in the ballpark of the gold’s value. However, the reporter noticed that the scale there only read 85.5 pennyweight, while the jewelry actually weighted 86.7 pennyweight.

From there, The Forum headed to Ridgewood, stopping first at Gemelli Jeweler’s Fresh Pond Road store. Despite being a jewelry store that carries many expensive items, the girl behind the counter there offered just $1,385 before saying she could pay $1,400 at most. The last stop was Liberty Pawn Brokers on Weirfield Street, which offered $1,400.

The Forum’s look at the local gold buying industry comes after Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) released a study showing that Cash4Gold, which advertises on late-night television, is preying on cash-strapped New Yorkers through deceptive marketing, low payment policies and misleading return policies. Residents mail the gold in an envelope, and the company assesses it and sends a check in return.

According to Weiner’s study, Cash4Gold intentionally low-balls offers to customers and then, if a customer complains, increases the offer. Customer service agents are reported to receive a commission for keeping the payout low, the congressman added. As a result, Weiner has asked the Federal Trade commission to investigate the misleading practices and plans to introduce the GOLD Act, which would seek protect consumers.

“It’s time for the government to take a stand against predatory companies like Cash4Gold,” said Weiner. “There’s no reason to allow Cash4Gold to continue their policy of kicking struggling consumers while they are already down… Cash4Gold is using these tough times as a golden opportunity to fleece customers. These deceptive practices must end.”

On the local level, there are simple steps sellers should take to ensure they receive a fair deal, according to Marlowe Jeweler’s Croce, who says his store has seen more people getting rid of old jewelry in recent years. “It seems to me like every time there is a spike in gold on the up side, you get a rush of people,” he said. “I guess people are definitely following that trend, we get a lot more people paying attention to the price than a few years ago.”

He says the typical sellers are either older folks who need the money to squeeze by in these tough times, or younger people who don’t necessarily need the money but just want to get rid of old jewelry while the price of gold is still high. “Some older people tell me they can use the money to pay bills,” said Croce. “The older people are more sentimental, but have to pay the bills, while the younger generation, once they’re tired of it they don’t care [about holding onto old jewelry].”

Croce’s advice is to simply shop around and only go to reputable stores that are licensed. While there is no law regulating how much a store has to offer, there are other regulations that licensed brokers must follow. “If you don’t feel comfortable with the place, don’t use them,” he added.

Other tips include getting an offer without revealing the amount other stores suggested, and to try to sell plain gold that doesn’t include stones in order to get a clearer idea of what the jewelry is worth. “Shopping is the most important thing. If they shop around, they are usually going to come back to me, since I give them a fair number,” said Croce.

Officials Vow to Again Fight Proposed MTA Cuts

W, Z Trains, Q56 Bus Among Threatened Lines

By Conor Greene

With a sense of déjà vu, elected officials and community leaders again find themselves fighting against proposed service cuts that are included in the budget plan recently approved by the MTA.

The MTA’s budget plan, unanimously approved last Wednesday, was forced to address a $383 million gap that developed over the past two weeks as a result of state budget cuts and lower than expected tax revenues. To close this gap, the MTA’s budget plan includes elimination of student discount, cuts to the Access-A-Ride program, elimination of the Cross Bay Bridge toll rebate program and service cuts along some bus and subway lines.

Among the proposed service cuts are elimination of the W and Z trains and more than a dozen borough bus lines, including the Q56, which runs along Jamaica Avenue. While this results in a redundancy of services in some ways, residents and officials say having both a bus and train option along Jamaica Avenue is essential for senior citizens, the handicapped, families and customers.

In addition to elimination of the W and Z trains and the Q56 bus, frequency of the J train would be reduced, and the following bus lines would be eliminated: Q24, Q30, Q31, Q41, Q42, Q84, Q74, Q75, Q76, Q110, QM4, Q21 and X28.

To draw attention to the cuts, officials including Assemblyman Mike Miller, Councilman Eric Ulrich, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley and Assemblyman Rory Lancman gathered on Tuesday and urged the MTA to reconsider. “It is going to have a major impact on Woodhaven and Richmond Hill,” said Miller. “It doesn’t make sense – why would you cut the mode of transportation the majority of the community uses?”

For many seniors, the bus is essential because it is difficult for many to climb the several dozen stairs leading to the elevated train stations along the J line. “We know that cuts have to be made. Let’s start at the top and work our way down,” added Miller.

Lancman noted that his district is being threatened with elimination of the Q74 bus, which brings students to Queens College. He recalled that during the last round of budget negotiations and threatened service cuts, legislators agreed to implement a payroll tax to fund the authority. “That was a bitter pill for our economy to swallow… but we were assured by that MTA that was what as needed to prevent the cuts we’re talking about today,” he said, calling the authority a “very sloppily run organization.”

“The MTA needs to start at the top and make itself a well-run organization,” added Lancman. “Then maybe we can talk about the need for sensible service cuts. The focus of this conversation has to be about how the MTA is going to reform itself.”

Crowley said that Councilman James Vacca has devised a plan to avoid the cuts by instead reallocating $140 million of capital funds to temporarily close the budget gap. The funds would come from two sources: more than $90 million in unspent federal stimulus aid that may be allocated towards operating expenses, and about $50 million in MTA operating funds that are currently being used to supplement the capital budget.

Ulrich called the service cuts “a slap in the face of the working men and women of this city” and said they target the “most vulnerable” including students and seniors. “They are telling us they don’t care about Woodhaven, and to me that is the biggest disgrace,” he said.

Maria Thomson of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corp. reminded those in attendance at Tuesday’s press conference that the same fight was waged just last year. Since Jamaica Avenue’s Business Improvement District stretches for 25 blocks, Thomson argued that having bus service along the shopping corridor is essential. “We’re going to make the MTA care [about Woodhaven] because we’re going to fight for this,” she vowed.

In a statement announcing the budget decision, MTA Chairman and CEO Jay Walder said that it is impossible not to have service cuts that impact people when $400 million is taken from the budget overnight, but recognized the need to restore the public’s confidence in the beleaguered authority.

“We have a responsibility to assure our customers and taxpayers that every dollar they sent to the MTA is used as effectively as possible,” he said. “We can’t say that today, and that is why we have to fundamentally change the way that we do business. In short, we must take this place apart to find the efficiencies that will make it stronger. We can’t do it fast enough to take off the table the things we’re taking about today, but this effort is our best chance to restore the MTA’s credibility and protect the critical services we provide.”

Now You See It; Now You Don't

Graffiti Disappearing from Ulrich’s District

By Patricia Adams

One month after introducing an aggressive initiative to eliminate graffiti in his district, Councilmember Eric Ulrich issued a report this week detailing the program’s progress. Since the program began in late August, graffiti removal crews have completed a comprehensive clean-up of three of the district’s most problematic areas:

--101st Avenue between 75th Street and 111th Street

--Rockaway Boulevard between 75th Street and 111th Street

--Woodhaven Boulevard and Cross Bay Boulevard between Atlantic Avenue and the Joseph P. Addabbo Bridge.

“The difference is night and day. One month ago, you couldn’t walk a block without seeing a storefront or a private home that had been vandalized,” said Ulrich (R-Ozone Park). “Now, we are turning the tide. Not only is this program beautifying the area, but it is also sending a clear message to graffiti vandals that we will no longer tolerate their criminal behavior, and that our neighborhoods deserve respect.”

The Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation (GWDC) who partnered with Ulrich in the initiative acts as the administrator for the $30,000 in discretionary funding from Ulrich.

GWDC Executive Director Maria Thomson said, “Thanks to Council Member Ulrich’s funding, we have been able to restore people’s pride in their community. While there is still so much work to be done, I know that we are going to win the war on graffiti vandalism. I’d say we’re off to a great start!”

In the coming months, crews will perform regular monthly maintenance to keep these areas graffiti-free. In addition to the scheduled clean-up sectors, 64 constituent complaints have also been addressed. The Council Member urges all of his constituents to take advantage of this FREE program. All complaints are routed to the clean-up crew who is then dispatched in a timely manner.

Officials Demand Repairs to Jamaica Ave. Elevated Tracks

Say Eyesore is Hurting Businesses, Accident Waiting to Happen

By Conor Greene

Area elected officials and community leaders are pushing the MTA to repair the elevated subway tracks above Jamaica Avenue, arguing that years of neglect has produced a dangerous eyesore that is stifling economic development in the area.

State Senator Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and Maria Thomson of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corp. gathered with residents near the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard on Monday to draw attention to the need for immediate structural repairs.

“For far too long, the Jamaica Avenue elevated train has been neglected,” said Crowley. “This is an accident waiting to happen… It is a serious situation that has to be addressed.” She noted that the structure was included in the MTA’s five-year capital plan that just expired but was eliminated due to lack of funding. Now, Addabbo and Crowley are pressuring the MTA to ensure that the work is included in the upcoming capital plan.

“I’ve been coming along Jamaica Avenue since I was a kid… and it hasn’t changed since I was five years old,” said Addabbo. “It looks the same, and that’s a sad story. I’m hopeful to bring this project to the forefront.”

Thomson, who has been involved with the GWDC for more than two decades and is a thirty-plus year resident of the neighborhood, said “it’s time for Woodhaven to get some attention from the MTA” after being ignored for years. “For far too long, Woodhaven has suffered with this monstrosity,” she said, adding that the GWDC has been pushing to have the tracks repainted and repaired for the last 15 years.

Crowley and Addabbo made the case for repairs in a letter to Senate Conference Majority Leader Senator John Sampson, urging him to immediately move the project forward.

“Jamaica Avenue is lined with businesses and we believe it is on the cusp of turning into a thriving economic engine for the borough… Unfortunately, the most prominent feature is the rusty and deteriorating overhead J-line subway,” they wrote. “The condition of the elevated train not only deters visitors but is, most importantly, an accident waiting to happen.”

While the project has yet to go out to bid, Crowley said the repairs would likely require a multi-million dollar contract. “That’s what happens when you neglect steel for far too long,” she said. “I’m not sure why they haven’t [solicited bids] and that’s why we’re here today… People like to shop in a beautiful business district… It’s a tough economic time and painting the elevated train would definitely help businesses in the area.”

In response, MTA NYC Transit spokeswoman Deirdre Parker said agency officials “realize the importance of regular painting of the steel elevated subway structures to protect against corrosion, extend the life of the structure and improve neighborhood aesthetics.”

The proposed 2010-2014 MTA capital program contains $521 million for line structure rehabilitation, painting and enhancements including overcoat painting of 18.5 miles of elevated structure on the Brighton, Broadway-7th Avenue, Canarsie, Culver, Jamaica, Rockaway and White Plains Road lines. In addition, repairs are planned for 7.3 route miles of elevated structure on the Jamaica line and the Far Rockaway and Rockaway Park viaducts, added Parker

Councilman Vows to Wipe Out Graffiti

By Patricia Adams

The scourge of graffiti is the latest to jump on the “zero-tolerance bandwagon” - that is, at least, in the city council district that encompasses Howard Beach, Broad Channel and parts of Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Rockaway and Woodhaven.

Last Friday, Councilmember Eric Ulrich held a press conference announcing the decision to bring to his district what is being touted as “an aggressive and effective initiative” aimed at the total elimination of graffiti vandalism.

“I funded this program to tackle graffiti once and for all in this district,” Ulrich said standing in front of the MET Supermarket at 102rd Street and 101st Avenue. The store is an obvious backdrop choice--its outside walls littered with graffiti. The site typifies, according to the councilman, “the burden that graffiti imposes on local business owners and shoppers at the hands of vandals.”

The Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation has partnered with Ulrich in the initiative. “Our communities are strong and stable-- graffiti can make them look as though they are not,” stated Maria Thomson. Ulrich thanked GWDC as well as commending police at both the 106 and the 102 for all their efforts to eliminate graffiti.

The group acted as the administrator for the $30,000 in discretionary funding allotted by Ulrich who earmarked the money for the organization to use toward efforts to eliminate graffiti. The bidder was chosen after reviewing five respondents who replied to a Request for Proposal issued by GWDC. The selected bidder agreed to the initial clean-up, monthly maintenance schedule and constituent component of the program.

“For years the Mayor’s office and the police have attempted to eradicate this nuisance. But, we’re going to take a very different approach”, Ulrich explained. The approach he refers to is one taken by City Solve, a firm that concentrates solely on private graffiti removal.

The company that was awarded the bid for the project has a plan of action that began with a complete “graffiti inventory”. Specially equipped trucks were to begin attacking identified targets as early as the weekend, using a combination of pre-treatment, power washing and paint matching, to restore surfaces to look as though there had never been graffiti present.

City Solve’s owner, Bruce Pienky, acknowledges that the battle with graffiti takes time, but with his company’s approach, the war is being won. “In the beginning there usually is a lot of new graffiti.” Pienky’s comments are based on his experiences in more than a dozen different neighborhoods he provides similar services to. “There is still plenty of graffiti for us to clean, but … we have worn down their resolve.”

Effective immediately, Ulrich declared the areas of 101st Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard from 75th Street to 111th Street and along Woodhaven and Crossbay Boulevards from Atlantic Avenue to the south end of the Joseph P Addabbo bridge as “Graffiti-Free Zones.”

The three zones were chosen because they were ranked as the most adversely affected areas throughout the district. “That does not mean that residents outside of these areas will not be included in the plan,” explained Ulrich. In addition to the target zone automatically covered, resident and business owners can phone the councilman’s office to report complaints at any address in the district. Those calls will be handled as part of the constituent component of the plan which will dispatch trucks to these locations on a weekly basis.

Ulrich says his district has more than 127 instances for roll down gates just on 101st Avenue. In addition there are hundreds of more “pieces of inventory” that include garage doors, side walls and other commercial and residential property faces.

Business owners and private residents would be charged anywhere from $500 and upwards of $1,000 for the service if they had to hire a private company. Now the same service will be provided free.

Those in attendance at Friday’s conference were forced to agree that an on-site demonstration at the supermarket made a great first impression. Within three minutes after a technician started the job, the side walls of Met Food looked as if had never been vandalized. According to experts it would have taken more than an hour and a half to paint by hand. And it was Ulrich who volunteered to take the power washer from the technician, going on to wash away the graffiti. After rolling down his sleeves the he joked, “I have a new confidence in this equipment. It’s so easy even a councilman can do it."