32 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • JANUARY 9, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
queens business
Cuomo approves Queens lawmakers’ NYC Design-Build Act
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
New York City could save hundreds of
millions of dollars on public construction
projects aft er Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed
legislation from two Queens lawmakers.
State Senator Leroy Comrie and
Assemblyman Edward Braunstein sponsored
Courtesy of Governor’s Offi ce
Governor Andrew Cuomo used design-build to fast track the new K-Bridge that was completed four years ahead of schedule.
Bayside Supercuts location closes shop on Bell Boulevard
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
Another Bayside business fell to the
wayside as New York property taxes continue
to rise.
Th is time, the northeast Queens neighborhood
said goodbye to the Supercuts
salon at 41-04 Bell Blvd. News of the
chain hair salon’s closure broke on the
Bayside community Facebook page earlier
this week.
“We spoke with Don, the owner of the
franchise who said it wasn’t so much the
rent, but the recent rise of imposed taxes
that don’t take the small businessman into
account that was the defi ning factor,” said
Gregg Sullivan, founder of BaysideLiveTv.
Franchise owners Barbara Burdzy and
Dan Raghoonundon bought the salon
in August 2015 and had future plans to
expand the business.
According to Department of Finance
records, the property tax on the building
where Supercuts is located rose by nearly
$29,000 over 10 years. Annual property
tax in 2009 was $80,227 versus $109,063
in 2019.
Bayside Village BID Director
Christine Silletti said that the franchise
owners told the landlord they would
not be renewing their lease. So, the
property owners off ered the space to the
owners of Hair Studio 4 who refused
the off er.
Silletti added the the Supercuts stylists
have a “partnership with another
hair salon” and plan to move there.
Founders Frank Emmett and Geoff rey
Rappaport started Supercuts in 1975.
Th e pair opened their fi rst location
in California as a quick alternative to
high-end salons and smaller neighborhood
barber shops.
Emmett and Rappaport developed a
20-minute haircutting technique that
allowed them to off er quick, inexpensive
haircuts to their customers. Patrons
can get a haircut without booking an
appointment and choose services for a
tailored experience.
Today, Regis Corp. owns Supercuts
in addition to several other haircutting
and styling franchises in the
United States. Th ere are currently 2,369
Supercuts franchises across the country
and 140 outside of the U.S.
Photo via Google Maps
Supercuts on Bell Boulevard
the NYC Design-Build Act, which
will provide city agencies with the power
to combine design and construction bids
into one contract to eliminate red tape.
“Under my leadership, the state has
repeatedly demonstrated the value
of design-build, successfully deploying
design-build to deliver projects on
time and on budget statewide, including
in New York City,” Cuomo said in his
approval statement.
Th e state used design-build to replace
the dilapidated Kosciuszko Bridge that
connects Queens and Brooklyn with the
$873 million K-Bridge which opened in
August. Cuomo said the project came in
under budget and nearly four years ahead
of schedule.
“Design-build increases effi ciency by
enabling the projects owner, designer and
builder to closely collaborate from conception
to completion and provide crucial
time-savings, especially important as we
race to build infrastructure New Yorker
need to compete in a 21st-century, global
economy,” Cuomo added.
Now design-build will fi nally be available
to the city to expedite its own construction
projects.
“Design-build means less red tape and
more new-and-improved libraries, roads
and bridges,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
“Now we’ll be able to save time and
money on critical projects that truly matter
to New Yorkers.”
Braunstein said he did not have any
specifi c projects in mind when he and
Comrie sponsored the measure.
“Cost savings to the city was the incentive
to get this done. You save $300 million
than that money can be allocated to
other projects,” Braunstein said. “It’s great
news for the city of New York and it’s
going to speed up the timeline of many
projects.”
Design-build could be used by city agencies
such as the Department of Design
and Construction, the Department
of Environmental Protection, the
Department of Transportation, the
School Construction Authority, the
Parks Department and NYCHA. Th e
Citizens Budget Commission estimates
that design-build could save the city $2
billion over 10 years on just bridge projects.
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