No question, 2023 was a down year for Main Street retail with multiple closings and more ugly, empty storefronts. It reflected the still unresolved difficulties surrounding doing business in the canyon. Rents are too high for this marketplace, and RIOC compounds the problem by setting a poor example.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Every year, we report on Main Street retail. Little changes in general, although some bright spots always shine through. 2024 is no different. Some of the players change but not the overall result.
While Shops On Main keeps its optimism facing forward, the results are mixed.
Main Street Retail, January 2024
Along with the depressing sight of empty storefronts resides the failure to put up signs that identify the business. Sadly, RIOC leads the way.
The Youth Center, where millions went into physically upgrading a shrunken mission, lacks any sign. Worse yet, its windows are blocked out with a string of posters, and at the entrance, mirrors disguise whatever waits behind the door.
How would anyone know what to expect?
And nearby, the state agency’s primary office also lacks signage or anything resembling a welcome.
Signs not only inform, but when done well, they celebrate the business. When done badly, signs do the opposite.
All over New York City, scaffolding left up, essentially free storage, long after its reason for being expires darkens sidewalks and diminishes foot traffic. Main Street is no exception as Roosevelt Landings’s scaffolding seems set for winter.
Two businesses have promised new signs for January. One, Island Discount, positioned next to a vacant storefront, has gotten good reviews from residents, but with its Grand Opening months in the past, it’s time to permanently mark its space.
But the other promise comes with an additional boost.
“The Mexican restaurant – Wholesome Taqueria – has ordered new equipment for the revamped menu and aims to open within two weeks.” That includes signage, according to Shops On Main.
503 Main Street is a challenging location, well off the beaten track, and a welcoming visage can only help.
When Dr. Jack Resnick closed up shop in October, the former home of Urgent Care went empty. Hudson-Related has kept up hopes for bringing in another medical facility for the location, but as time passes, so does the likelihood of that ever happening.
On the bright side, apart from shoplifting concerns at Duane Reade, Riverwalk Commons continues an unbroken string of success. Granny Annie’s Irish bar thrives, and deliveries keep the pizza shop and Japanese restaurant busy.
But even with the best intentions, businesses must deal with RIOC and its intractable bad ideas.
Bread & Butter Market invested tens of thousands in updating its popular deli and its grocery, but here’s what passersby see. The ridiculous Chief Kevin Brown Fire Hydrant Blockade not only downgrades the store’s appearance, it reduces safety by limiting access to a fire hydrant.
There is no known reason for blocking access to a fire hydrant. Parking is legal in this spot as long as a driver stays with the vehicle because it can be moved quickly in emergencies. But FDNY, arriving after an alarm, must dismantle this junk before setting up hoses.
It’s not just an eyesore, it’s a public safety hazard.
Come on, RIOC, give Main Street retail a break. Put up some signs and remove this public eyesore that serves no reasonable purpose.
When Representation Was the Promise
There was a time when representation felt like the answer.
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