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POWERS PUSHES TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES ECONOMY
Council member wants permanent outdoor dining and temporary repeal of commercial rent tax BY JASON COHEN
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo created a poster to depict the “mountain” of New York’s COVID experience. Photo: Don Pollard / Office of Andrew M. Cuomo
NEW YORK’S STATE OF ANXIETY PANDEMIC
While the city now has one of the lowest infection rates in the country, local leaders are trying to assuage our fear of uncertainty BY MICHAEL ORESKES
Megadoses of anxiety have always been essential to the New York state of mind. But this really does feel different. Existential uncertainty is our new normal and we are all trying to adapt. In BC times - Before COVID - we walked fast be-
As New Yorkers continue to struggle to get by during the pandemic and businesses are barely surviving, one elected official has proposed several measures to help the economy.
Last week, Council Member Keith Powers released a report outlining further action for small businesses’ recovery and employee aid, “Open for Business: Saving Our Small Businesses Post-COVID.” Among the many items in the report are Powers’ desire to make outdoor dining permanent and a measure to relieve businesses of paying commercial rent tax during COVID-19 State of Emergency. “I think [outdoor dining] is working really well,” Powers
told Our Town. “It’s an opportunity to make money and pay bills. It makes our streets more welcoming. If this doesn’t happen we’d see a lot more businesses be prepared to close. I think people are searching for answers and this is an opportunity to get back to normalcy.” The commercial rent tax is 3.9 percent of businesses’ annual rent charged only to businesses south of 96th
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INSIDE
MALONEY’S ‘DECISIVE WINNING MARGIN’ Board of Elections gives her an edge of over 3,700 votes, but Patel won’t concede until lawsuit over invalidated ballots is resolved. p. 3
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REDEFINING STREET FOOD
cause we had places to be. We talked fast because there was so much to say and so little time. Now, no words seem adequate and, in any case, where is there to rush to? New Yorkers have always displayed a striver’s certainty. “If I can make it here…” Well, you know the rest. This was our “concrete jungle where dreams are made from.” Sure, there was no telling when buildings might topple or the tides would flood the subways. This happened. Still we crossed
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WEEK OF WEEK AUGUST AUGUST
Restaurants, groceries and vendors are all occupying outdoor space, giving a new meaning to “street food.” p. 6
WHAT’S HOT, WHAT’S NOT Council Member Keith Powers (left) and Assembly Member Dan Quart (right) on the East Side on July 29, 2020. Photo: Assembly Member Dan Quart on Twitter, @AMDanQuart
Voices City Arts Business
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15 Minutes Real Estate
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A post-lockdown real estate primer. p. 26