City attempts to help small businesses oppressed by Trump Tower security measures
City attempts to help small businesses oppressed by Trump Tower security measures:- The de Blasio administration took steps Thursday to deal with complaints from businesses around Trump Tower about extreme security measures hampering their sales, officials said.
But the councilman for the district said the moves don’t go nearly far enough.
The NYPD will provide a community affairs officer to deal with the businesses’ concerns and smooth the way for truck deliveries, according to Gregg Bishop, commissioner of the city Department of Small Business Services.
The area around Trump Tower at 56th St. and Fifth Ave. has been under lockdown since Nov. 9, after Election Day.
Businesses have complained that the heavy security has caused a 30% drop in sales, reduced foot traffic and caused problems with deliveries. They say that barricades around Trump Tower are creating the impression that the block is entirely shut down.
“The City of New York is doing everything in its power to listen and to respond to the needs of small business owners in the vicinity of Trump Tower,” Bishop said.
“Your voice has been heard and we will continue to do everything we can to help.”
But Councilman Daniel Garodnick said more must be done.
“We need to go a lot further to save these businesses from this terrible situation they are in,” he said.
“Right now, you have delivery trucks backing down 56th St. and people who can’t get their deliveries reliably. The street is filthy and you can’t get a customer dropped off anywhere on the block. It’s one thing for a temporary emergency, but this can’t become the new normal.”
Garodnick said the city should open the street to through traffic.
Bishop described the situation as an “unprecedented challenge.”
Police sources previously said that the Trump detail will include hundreds of officers drawn from around the city.
Under the plan, nearby businesses will be able to contact an officer tasked with dealing with their issues, officials said.
The barricades will be reconfigured and moved much closer to the NYPD’s mobile command center to try to remove any impression that the block is shut down, officials said, adding that officers will make it clear to pedestrians that foot traffic is permitted.
Source:- http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/city-attempts-small-businesses-oppressed-trump-tower-article-1.2920539
