By Katie McFadden, September 22, 2022<\/p>\n
After years of complaints about conditions on Beach 116th Street, Councilwoman Joann Ariola is spearheading efforts to make changes, and by the turnout at a recent meeting with business owners on the block, they\u2019re eager to see that change.<\/p>\n
The backyard of Rogers was packed on Friday afternoon, but it wasn\u2019t for happy hour. It was packed with Beach 116th business owners and neighbors from around the area who are quite unhappy with things they\u2019ve seen happening on the block that they\u2019ve invested in. On September 16, Councilwoman Ariola called for the meeting along with the business owners, neighbors, local police and the Queens Chamber of Commerce to hear concerns and discuss some actions that will be taking place to hopefully find solutions.<\/p>\n
One of the main concerns is safety. Mike McMahon, owner of Rogers encouraged business owners to do what they can to make improvements by keeping the front of their stores clean and well maintained, but said, \u201cThe biggest problem we have on the block is safety. We\u2019ll do what we have to do but just get rid of the drug dealers, the prostitution, the crime. Nobody will come here if it\u2019s not safe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s meeting was called after Councilwoman Ariola had recently formed a Beach 116th Task Force which had met a few weeks prior to discuss concerns with police. \u201cAt that meeting, one of the major concerns was crime. Deputy Inspector Fabara of the 100th Precinct was there along with Community Affairs, and they worked out having extra patrols coming on weekends,\u201d Ariola\u2019s Chief of Staff Phyllis Inserillo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to make sure everyone can close their business at night knowing that they\u2019re not going to have anyone assault them or people coming in and out of their businesses, and for residents who live here to not be overburdened by what\u2019s happening with people in local establishments that are putting their residents out on the street for the day and not tracking what\u2019s happening. We don\u2019t want businesses to close. We want everyone to come here and enjoy this block and not feel threatened,\u201d Ariola said. \u201cWe\u2019re taking bold steps, but we need complete participation by business owners, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and the residents in the area and we\u2019re having separate meetings with people from the St. John\u2019s Home, Gloria\u2019s Manor and the Park Inn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many of the attendees spoke of specific concerns and problem areas. Eric McManus, who bought the PJ Currans building, said that a neighbor in one of the beachfront condo buildings showed him photos of people dealing drugs at the Flight 587 Memorial. Laura Leonard, of ABA Tree, confirmed this, saying she\u2019s seen it happen daily while walking to work, and has been fearful, being a witness to such activities.<\/p>\n
Some pointed out that another big problem area has become the empty storefronts like the old Fashion Wave, which is owned by the MTA. Ariola herself said on her way to the meeting, she saw a man sitting in a flowerpot in front of the property. The area has been the source of many complaints as a place where people loiter, urinate and harass passersby, as the properties remain empty. Inserillo explained that Ariola\u2019s office has been in touch with the MTA regarding this issue. \u201cThe rents they\u2019re asking for are astronomical, which is why they\u2019re empty, but we\u2019re going to explain to them that they need to do something with this space,\u201d Inserillo said. Some said they\u2019ve made attempts to express interest in the space, like neighboring owner Rob Pisani of Bagel Barista Station, but he hasn\u2019t heard back from anyone. After an eight-month battle, artist and activist Chris Jorge was able to \u201cshame\u201d the MTA into allowing her art group sketchRockaway! to place artwork in the windows of Fashion Wave to attempt to beautify the space while it remains empty, at a cost of $1K a year in insurance. Meanwhile, many said the MTA hasn\u2019t been doing their part to keep the front of their properties clean or maintained.<\/p>\n
Ariola explained they\u2019re going to keep the pressure on. \u201cThe MTA is an authority. They answer to no one. But we\u2019ve had great success under the El on Liberty Ave and Jamaica Ave, and we\u2019re going to make sure we have the same success here. We\u2019re going to go above whoever we have to with the MTA to make sure it gets cleaned,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Some attributed the loitering and threatening activity on the block to residents of nearby SROs. \u201cWe\u2019re working with Park Inn and Gloria\u2019s Manor and going to have meetings with them. We\u2019re going to go at them from a city level and make sure they understand they have to be responsible. Once we address the bad actors here who own these places, if we can stop it, it will become better,\u201d Ariola said, but added that there\u2019s only so much she can do from the city level. She explained that she\u2019s a supporter of mental health, support and rehabilitation services for people on the block that have these issues, but these people have to accept the help. \u201cAt the end of the day, they have to say yes and sometimes they do but that isn\u2019t always the case. I\u2019m a proponent of those services but until we change our state laws, we can\u2019t force anyone to accept help,\u201d she said. \u201cWe need to work with our state partners so they can change legislation so we can have a little more teeth when it comes to addressing issues like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the meantime, in addition to holding property owners like the MTA and the SRO owners accountable on a city level, Ariola suggested that there\u2019s things the business owners can do to get some extra help. \u201cThe first idea is to put together a Business Improvement District or a Merchant Association so an elected official can help fund that association, business owners can pay into it, and it would ensure the block is getting regular cleanings on the street, regular plantings in our planters, holiday decorations, etc.,\u201d she said. She invited Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce to explain how a BID or Merchant Association could be beneficial and the ways the Queens Chamber could boost them by helping businesses apply for grants that are available to them. \u201cTom Grech has done this in other communities, and we\u2019ve seen tremendous turnaround on the blocks. They work on grants with you. It\u2019s all the things we laypeople don\u2019t know how to do. They\u2019re here to assist and I funded them to make your life better on this street,\u201d Ariola said.<\/p>\n
Some expressed dismay over the Merchant Association idea, citing previous efforts like the Rockaway Business Alliance, which many said was not helpful. \u201cNobody here received anything from it. We tried it, it didn\u2019t work,\u201d one business owner chimed in. Ariola encouraged giving it another go. \u201cIt is the best approach to take because the Queens Chamber are experts at it. They will navigate us through to make sure we get exactly what we need and it\u2019s going to be hands on. We\u2019ll be in constant contact as far as our office goes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The meeting ended with Ariola ensuring the business owners that she\u2019ll be standing with them in this battle to bring back the block. \u201cI think we\u2019re taking very positive first steps. We want to make sure you stay in business. And I\u2019m gonna be here, boots on the ground with you through the whole thing. You\u2019re not going to go through it on your own,\u201d she said, adding that she\u2019ll put together another meeting for owners interested in forming a BID or Merchant Association.<\/p>\n