‘NEW YORK NEEDS
Struggling small businesses look
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HOW TO REACH US
COURIER L 2 IFE, AUGUST 21-27, 2020
BY JESSICA PARKS
Brooklyn pols joined with
Bay Ridge business owners on
Aug. 17 to demand that state
legislators provide rent relief
for small businesses struggling
as a result of the ongoing
pandemic — and for the governor
to continue the suspension
on commercial evictions.
“This is not a matter of
just quaint public policy discussion,
this is not just some
hashtag slogan, this is just
not just some pie in the sky
idea,” said state Sen. Andrew
Gounardes, who represents a
swath of southern Brooklyn.
“This is a matter between life
or death for the thousands of
small businesses here in New
York City that will not survive.”
The group met outside of
Galaxy Comics on Fifth Avenue,
a beloved neighborhood
comic shop that’s seen an outpouring
of community support
to help its owner chip
away at more than $30,000 in
unpaid rent accrued since the
start of the pandemic.
“As the owner of a comic
book store, I can say that New
York needs some heroes on
our side to save small businesses
and to keep the economy
of this beautiful city of
ours alive,” Galaxy Comics
owner Abdulilah Esa said.
As the laws stand currently,
landlords cannot fi le a
new eviction against a small
business until Sept. 5 — although,
small businesses like
Galaxy Comics will still owe
whatever rent they accumulated
once the moratorium on
evictions is lifted.
And the plight of the beloved
comic shop is in no way
unique, the senator said, as
more than 74 percent of small
businesses with 20 or fewer
employees require rent relief
to survive.
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