Amsterdam Avenue Shops Share Problems of Rent, Costs

During a 10-block tour of small businesses up Amsterdam Ave., UWS Councilmember Gale Brewer and the Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner identified rent and lease negotiations as the key concerns of local storeowners.

Kenny Minaya, who was appointed as SBS Commissioner in March by Mayor Mamdani, and CM Brewer spent an hour walking around the UWS area, stopping in to talk to local storeowners Aug. 10.

When it came to the main issue, Brewer said there were no surprises that it was rent. That came despite a mini-crime wave where three shops along Amsterdam Avenue were burglarized on Aug. 6 between 74th and 85th Streets. No arrests have been made.

Crime in the 20th Precinct was actually up with 3.46 percent more incidents reported through Aug. 9, according to Compstat figures from the NYPD. But in the same period, robberies were down 15.8 percent compared to a year ago while burglaries were down 7.1 percent compared to a year ago.

The mini burglary spree on Aug. 6 was eclipsed by the soaring costs of rent by shop owners that Brewer and Minya spoke with on their walking tour.

Brewer said local tours like the one she did with Minaya are important to inform small business owners of services they could use.

“I think the issue, having done this in the past, is these stores don’t even know there is a Small Business Services,” Brewer told The Spirit. “They don’t know they have attorneys if you have a rent issue. There was one woman who has a nail salon, she was very upset because she doesn’t have enough customers, so they can help with marketing.”

“I think it’s helpful, you never can do enough of this,” Brewer added.

Minaya agreed with the CM, saying connection with these owners on a local level is important to help provide help.

“It was a pleasure getting the chance to tour the neighborhood with Council Member Brewer this morning, and to meet some of the business owners that call the area home,” Minaya wrote to The Spirit. “These tours are important because they give me the opportunity to not only hear directly from small business owners, but to then connect them to SBS resources and services.”

“It’s one thing to say that we are in an affordability crisis, but to actually show up and listen to both the business owners and customers alike is key to our success at SBS,” Minaya added.

When it came to the main issue, Brewer said there were no surprises that it was rent. That came despite a mini-crime wave where three shops along Amsterdam Avenue were burglarized on Aug. 6 between 74th and 85th Streets. No arrests have been made.

But for whatever reason, the burglary spree was eclipsed by the soaring costs of rent by shop owners that Brewer and Minya spoke with on their walking tour.

“Even if you have a good customer base, whether it’s the deli, there was a very innovative place for kids to come and use the trampoline, they had a day camp there, tons of kids in there,” Brewer said. “As long as they have a five-year, 10-year lease they’re fine but they’re always worried when that lease is up. Several people said the rent is too high.”

“I only had one complaint about the lack of customers,” Brewer added.

Minaya said the SBS department is aiming to cut the redtape for small businesses.

“Between high rent and inflation, many are breaking even – which is why, since day one, this administration has been committed to making sure that government is not another cost incurred, or hurdle to success,” Minaya wrote. “That’s what OPEN for Small Business is about: cut outdated rules that no longer make sense in the 21^st century.”

Minaya said small businesses in the UWS are thriving post-pandemic, with the storefront vacancy rate being 20% lower than it was at the pandemic’s onset. Looking forward, Minaya said SBS will be issuing almost $500,000 in grants to community-based organizations and Business Improvement Districts on the west side.

“These grants will fund everything from new public art, commercial lighting, supplemental sanitation services, local events, and much more, all with the goal of solving local quality-of-life challenges and increasing foot traffic to neighborhood small businesses,” Minaya wrote.”

Currently, Brewer is preparing for an upcoming September City Council hearing in the Small Business Committee for Intro. 90, which she is the lead sponsor for. If passed, the bill would establish a “Storefront Business Bill of Rights” and seek to particularly protect small business tenants during premises negotiations.

“The main issue that I hear sometimes is that when your lease is up, often, the owner sometimes doesn’t get back to you,” Brewer said. “You say ‘I’d like to negotiate another five-year lease, 10-year lease,’ and the guy doesn’t get back to you, or the owner doesn’t get back to you. This bill, it’s a little more complicated than that, but it would mandate that the owner talk to the commercial tenant, hopefully work out a deal.”