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March 26-April 1, 2021
Community organizations team up to raise funds
for Jackson Heights businesses devastated by fi re
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
Following a large fire that
ripped through a row of storefronts
in Jackson Heights
earlier in the month, community
organizations have set up
a fundraiser to help the affected
immigrant-owned businesses
and workers — most of whom
were already hardest hit by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 15, Chhaya Community
Development Corporation
and Desis Rising Up and
Moving (DRUM) created a Go-
FundMe with a goal of raising
$50,000 to provide direct relief
grants for the uninsured business
owners, undocumented
workers and street vendors.
According to authorities,
on the night of March 4, a fire
broke out in the basement of
Prince Kebab & Chinese Restaurant,
located at 37-56 74th St.,
and quickly spread to the six occupancies
structurally connected
to it. It took the FDNY nearly
six hours and 168 firefighters to
get the fire under control. Some
of the impacted businesses included
a cellphone store, nail
and hair salons as well as clothing
stores.
“This tragedy is compounded
by already mounting debt, lack
of job security, fear of eviction
and personal health worries,”
their fundraiser’s message read.
Multiple small businesses on 74th Street in Jackson Heights were damaged due to a large fire on
earlier in March. Photo courtesy of Chhaya
“There are businesses here who
were ineligible for federal relief,
workers ineligible for unemployment.
Some of the smallest
businesses operated and made
their livelihoods here, including
street vendors who stored their
inventory in this building. We
are even hearing of nearby residents
affected by smoke inhalation.
This will have a profound
impact on the neighborhood but
we are committed to protecting
and preserving the commercial
corridor and the people who run
it.”
Jose Miranda, director of
programs at Chhaya, told QNS
there were about 15 businesses
affected by the fire, but that they
continue to find out about new
businesses every day as some
shops were subdivided and had
subleases. There are about five
businesses that are uninsured.
Part of the funds they collect
will also help replace wages for
the businesses affected workers,
mainly undocumented
workers who aren’t eligible for
unemployment or other government
aid. Miranda said all the
different businesses had about
30 workers in total, but was unsure
of how many are undocumented,
as DRUM is working
directly with the small business
owners.
There still isn’t a clear timeline
of when repairs will be
done due to a vacate order still
in place as of Thursday, March
18.
“The entire roof collapsed on
the building … we’re assuming
it’ll take a long time to repair,”
Miranda said. “A lot of businesses
have decided it would take
too long, so they’re looking for a
new location.”
Miranda said their organizations
and the Department of
Small Business Services (SBS)
are helping the businesses relocate.
And while the business
owners prefer to stay in the
neighborhood, Miranda said
they’re seeing rent go up “astronomically”
in Queens.
“Prices seem to be a little
lower in Manhattan,” Miranda
said. “But they’re shooting up
astronomically for commercial
tenants in Queens, even folks
who have to renew leases can’t
afford it.” Read more on QNS.com.
Vol. 9, No. 13 32 total pages
2021
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