By: Carole Harrison Costco has decided to put a store in a West Side residential project. The decision to put the store on the West Side Highway between West 59th and West 61st has drawn the ire of local politicians and labor unions. If they attempt to block the opening of the new store, it could mean a long delay before residents have access to the low-cost goods that Costco provides. After two efforts to open Costco stores in Manhattan have failed since 2000, the latest offering from Costco has expected the resistance from locals since Costco announced its intentions to build the new store. Local City Council members, including Gale Brewer, have voiced their own opposition to the project, and since the area would have to be rezoned before the store could move in, the council may just have the votes required to keep the store from opening. Costco is just the latest in a line of retailers that have been barred from operating in the city. Wal-Mart was similarly denied the opportunity in a decision that has cost the city millions in tax money. Ms. Brewer cites among her many concerns the fact that Costco would cause major congestion in an area already sorely in need of better traffic flow. According to Brewer, Costco customers typically drive cars, which will increase the already excessive traffic in the area. State Representative Linda Rosenthal has a different concern, she is worried about the Costco store being responsible for the loss of smaller retailers in the area. According to the Sun, Ms. Resenthal is afraid of the competition that Costco brings to the smaller businesses in the area. One supporter such as Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of the retail leasing and sales division of Prudential Douglas Elliman, said that the store could have one major benefit that the market sorely needs during these trying financial times, increased property values and desirability.
|
Comments (0 posted):
Leave a Comment