8 JANUARY 16, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
‘Handshake’ deal will keep historic
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
It took one day for Woodhaven’s
Neir’s Tavern — a nearly 200-yearold
institution — to go from the brink
of closure to total salvation.
The Queens Chamber of Commerce
announced Friday night a
“handshake agreement” between tavern
owner Loycent Gordon and the
Woodhaven property’s owners, Ken
and Henry Shi, to keep the historic,
190-year-old business open.
“We are very happy to have Neir’s
Tavern stay open and continue our
190 years of continuous operation,”
said Gordon, who thanked Mayor
Bill de Blasio and the community for
their support.
“This wouldn’t have happened if it
wasn’t for the mayor stepping in, and
if it wasn’t for the landlord working
with us, and if it wasn’t for all of you
supporting, tweeting and sharing,”
Gordon said. “It’s a community effort
and all three of these organizations
— the mayor, the elected officials, the
landlord, us — this is how we made
it: together. That’s the message —
community. We’re all a community,
whether it is a landlord, owner, politician.
This is the community. We
have to find a way to find a sense of
community. To do something that we
know is important, which I believe is
Neir’s Tavern.”
The Queens Chamber of Commerce,
along with de Blasio, Councilman
Robert Holden and Assemblyman
Mike Miller, helped make the deal
possible, according to the chamber’s
announcement.
“When I heard about what was happening
with Neir’s, I said, ‘This can
not happen. We can’t lose this bar.
We can’t lose this part of our history.
We can’t lose this part of our community.’
And I couldn’t believe it, I
did a double take this morning — 190
years old!” de Blasio said. “This place
is magical and we have to protect it.”
“New York City’s small businesses
are what make this city so special,
and as the city’s oldest bar, Neir’s
Tavern leads the pack. I’m proud to
have helped keep the doors open so
New Yorkers can continue to enjoy
a place that has meant so much to
so many over the years. Cheers to
another 190 years!” he added.
Earlier on Friday, de Blasio said
the city would work to save Neir’s
Tavern, a day after Gordon announced
it would shut down due to
unaffordable rents and insufficient
sales.
On Friday morning, Gordon called
into the Brian Lehrer Show on WYNC
and asked the mayor what can be
done to help local historic businesses
that are faced with regulations and
are forced to close down.
A huge celebration breaks out at Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven. Photos by Dean Moses
“I know it’s a private business, but
isn’t there some cultural signifi cance,
we can recognize it in terms of, like,
citywide, that we can kind of help protect
this?” Gordon said. “And now I’m
fi ghting this greedy landlord because
he wants like, you know, to charge
two and a half times more rent and
we just can’t do it. What powers can
you use to help us?”
In response to Gordon, de Blasio
condemned the landlord’s rent hike,
saying, “I’m not clear why landlords
do this — where you have a historic
business that’s beloved in the community
and the landlord is still
making a decent return and why
they have to jack up the rent all the
time.”
“The original sin so often is a
greedy landlord. This drives me
crazy. I think it’s really disrespectful
of local communities and local
culture,” de Blasio added.
The mayor then said his office
could help Gordon with loans
through Small Business Services
Commissioner Greg Bishop.
“Small businesses are the backbone
of NYC’s economy and Neir’s
Tavern is a treasure that adds to the
distinct character of this city. SBS is
proud to offer services to help the
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Neir’s Tavern owner Loycent Gordon.
business, assist them in keeping
their doors open and help maintain
the history and vitality of Queens,”
Bishop said in a statement released
Friday night.
Thomas J. Grech, president and
CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce,
said the chamber was thrilled
to announce the “handshake” deal
Friday night.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood
of Queens, adding to the unique
character of our neighborhoods
and creating jobs and opportunity
for New Yorkers. It would be a shame
to lose an institution with as much
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