REMARKS
Council Member Gale Brewer expresses concerns that vacancies are not going down
1:11:04
·
97 sec
Council Member Brewer expresses concern over increasing storefront vacancies in Manhattan.
- She believes current grants are not making sufficient impact
- She wants stronger action against landlords keeping stores vacant for long periods
- She opposes landlords holding out for chain stores over local businesses
- She suggests considering vacancy tax as potential solution
- She links storefront vacancies to crime and reduced quality of life
Gale Brewer
1:11:04
I mean, I guess what I'm saying is it's my impression that the vacancies are not going down.
1:11:10
They seem to be increasing, particularly of larger businesses.
1:11:13
And at least in Manhattan where rents are high and the stakes are high.
1:11:19
All of these grants are not gonna make a big difference.
1:11:22
So I guess what I'm saying is you need a louder voice about people renting and not having them stay vacant for months and months and months.
1:11:29
Somebody just say something.
1:11:31
Because obviously, it's we we don't know what the advantage is the owner.
1:11:36
The owner tells me there's no advantage, but he or she's waiting for the larger, I hate to say, chain store or somebody to come in.
1:11:43
They mostly want chain stores.
1:11:45
And of course, I don't want chain stores.
1:11:47
I want the local flavor.
1:11:49
But so there's a there's a people are very attached to their local stores, and this is a quality of life issue.
1:11:57
And so I think, you know, maybe we should have taxing.
1:12:00
This will be a state issue on vacancies.
1:12:02
In other words, if you're a vacant store, tax it, that might be something I know you don't let us suggest taxing.
1:12:07
I understand that.
1:12:09
But they will keep them vacant for a very long time unless there's some instrument that says this is no longer an option for you.
1:12:17
So you you do need to think a little bit more, in my opinion, holistically about this issue.
1:12:23
It is it is contributing to the vacant, to the crime issues.
1:12:29
And so I would love to see more discussion than with all due respect lighting program.
1:12:33
We don't need lights in Manhattan.
1:12:34
We got plenty of lights.
1:12:37
We we need them to be filled.
1:12:39
We need them to be filled.
1:12:40
That's what we need.
