2005/06/15 Council Agenda Packet

Retailers The five. merchants interviewed had all been in business in the area for many years. Four are family-owned businesses which also own the buildings in which they operate. Three of the businesses are industry wholesalers; destination markets, and local service stores. Two of the interview respondents saw. no particular effects of the presence'of adult use establishments on their own specific businesses. LBoth of these condemned the presence of drug and crack dealers in the vicinity. One of these •two_said that he knew the manager of a gay movie theatre across the Avenue and considered him a neighbor trying to do business. _:... i. J. -. T AnotEter interviewee felt differently, that conditions brought about by the pom businesses�,in►ere� pretty- bad,=negatively--affecting rents:i It. Though he -said he.was as: concerned bout the* First Amendmenvas anyone; ; and `did & not "considermyself a saint", he did say that the people who hang out in front of these establishments are unsavory and arty Involved in petty street crime.. He feels- that the presence of such stores hurts the perception of Times Square as a place of entertainment -and business. He had become optimistic about Times Square's future In .the last years, but now found himself worried about the increase in the number of adult use stores on Eighth Avenue, and the consequent security and safety problems., Nevertheless, he plans to continue doing business in the area where his family has been since.1935, and would consider expanding into .more space in an industrial or commercial building west of. Eighth Avenue. - A liquor store owner said that his real living Is from the residential and business trade In the area and he does not welcome the presence of the adult use stores.:He is convinced that they are associated with street drug dealing, and.claims to have observed known dealers In video stores many, times per day. .1 He believes that they frequent these places --which otherwise seem to be doing very little trade—because the video dealers"care tied into the crack -selling business. That owneuand a manager of a store owned by'a family which has been doing business lin Times Squarefor ninety years expressed .great concern about vacant stores, .high rents that only the porn operators cavi afford, and loiterers. who interfere with customers. Community Residents and Organizations In the --greater Times Square neighborhood there are eight block associations, approximately seven public schools, and about fifteen churches, six of them within the BID boundaries. EVER00229 43