Friday, November 2, 2018

Lefferts Blvd businesses worried about winter

From AMNY:

Merchants in a Kew Gardens retail strip atop a Long Island Rail Road overpass want years of delayed repairs iced out before the winter, when they say the lack of insulation leaves people shivering and water freezing in pipes that are prone to shatter, exacerbating the damage sustained from leaky roofs.

The businesses say the LIRR has been issuing notices to the management company contracted to maintain and lease the storefronts, but a tougher stance is needed to end the years-long saga.

"The railroad sent a letter, sort of an ultimatum, to Zee N Kay Management," said Nathalie Reid, who owns Thyme Natural Market, at 81-22 Lefferts Blvd., about a notice issued last month. "We've been sort of sitting here holding our breath to find out what's going on, and no one has gotten back to us."

"If we have another bad winter and our pipes freeze and they start exploding again, then we're going to be back to square one," said Reid. "We would like them to at least address something to do with the plumbing."


Anonymous said...

Serious problem, would have been nice if it got media attention earlier and not right before winter.

Anonymous said...

They ain't gonna do shit. The MTA wants you out of there regardless of all the BS they said about saving the bridge.

Untill all those businesses have their leases extended past 2020 their is no victory over the MTA.

Anonymous said...

We don't have pipe-freezing winters anymore, but these folks do have a legit worry when it comes to their businesses. I thought the LIRR wants to demolish the whole bridge-- shops and all-- because it's crumbling.

JQ LLC said...

The MTA, no let's just make that the State Of New York, basically used the same weaponization of neglect that slumlords use to force out modest salaried and poor tenants.