Ozone Park business owner Hasib Ali illustrates to Community Board 9 leaders how many members are behind his pleas to address how a pedestrian plaza affects revenues on a day-to-day basis. Photo by Michael Cusenza
Concerned Ozone Park entrepreneurs turned out last week at a Community Board 9 meeting to detail how they believe a pedestrian plaza has had a profoundly negative effect on their bottom lines.
In addressing several CB 9 members, civic leaders, representatives from the city Department of Transportation and elected officials at Thursday’s Borough Hall confab, the business owners, all of whom run establishments near the dedicated open space on 101st Avenue at Drew Street and Liberty Avenue, returned consistently to two common themes: how the new one-way traffic pattern has, in their view, put a dent in their customer bases; and sanitation issues associated with the plaza.
“My business is dying,” said Hasib Ali, with more than a hint of frustration in his voice. He has co-owned and operated Ozone Park Discount Variety & Hardware at 74-01 101st Ave. since 2008, and brought to the meeting a petition signed by many fellow owners which calls for the removal of the plaza.
Khemraj Sadoo, owner of Ozone Park First Class Laundry, which is directly across the street from Ali’s store, provided several water bills as evidence that his livelihood has taken a massive hit as a result of the installation of the nearly year-old plaza. “It’s killing the very existence of my business,” Sadoo said, adding that he estimates that he has lost approximately one-third of his revenue over the last eight months. “Is this good for business? I’ll let you answer that.”
Echoing Ali and Sadoo’s concerns, business owner Faysal Qurashi stressed the importance of returning the stretch of 101st Avenue to two-way traffic. “Customers don’t want to wait for parking,” Qurashi related. “It’s time consuming, time wasting, and for that we are suffering. If [the businesses] are not there, the community does not survive.”
However, the plaza has its supporters among business owners. Even Qurashi called it “most welcome” before requesting that it be moved “two to three blocks up, by Dunkin’ Donuts.” Iqbal Ali, owner of Al Haqq Pharmacy & Surgical Supplies at 75-07 101st Ave, said that while he “has issues with it,” the plaza ultimately is more beneficial than not.
“It brings value to the community, value to the neighborhood,” he said. “It affects my business, but I care more about the community.”
Others have observed that garbage has become a problem and that the space has yet to catch on with area residents and workers.
“Nobody uses it,” said Jeff Mohammad, manager of Ozone Park Furniture. “I don’t see the big deal.”
“There’s nothing good about it,” added Robert Ramjattan of Placid Wireless. “Once in a while people sit down for maybe 10 minutes, eat food and leave.”
At Thursday’s meeting, DOT Queens Commissioner Dalia Hall said that while there is no quick, silver-bullet cure for what ails the area, the department will work with the community on solutions.
“We need to take in concerns as an agency, and see what we can do to address those concerns,” Hall said, adding that they had recently secured more garbage baskets for the plaza from the city Sanitation Department.
Darma Diaz, chief operating officer of the Bangladeshi American Community Development and Youth Services Corporation, which aids in the upkeep of the plaza, said that members of her organization have seen businesses using plaza garbage receptacles for industrial refuse, which adds to the problem.
“We’re diligently working seven days a week to maintain this plaza,” Diaz said.
By Michael Cusenza
