Are things getting better for small businesses in Long Island? Depends of whom you ask.
Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender says the fact that three new businesses recently won permits from the village may be a sign that things are picking up.
“In recent weeks, we have seen positive reports of the economy, both on the national level and on Main Street reflecting an improvement to our current economic state,” Celender wrote in an e-mail. “With these trends showing a slight decrease in unemployment statistics and consumers spending more across the country, we are encouraged that we will be seeing a steady improvement of the economy on Long Island.”
And, in fact, the storefront vacancy rate has declined to 10.7 percent from the 12.3 percent in June 2012.
Village of Great Neck Mayor Ralph Kreitzman is also hopeful. He says the number of vacant storefronts in the village has been largely stable, with only one more empty space than existed a year ago. He conceded that the big-box stores are making harder for mom-and-pop businesses.
These shops and small businesses survived the recession although some are barely hanging on. They have found ways to compete with the high-end stores on Northern Boulevard’s Miracle Mile and to accommodate changes in population, such as the influx of Iranians. Persian, the Iranian language, is the second most common native tongue in Great Neck after Spanish.
Fortunately there are still a great many residents prefer to patronize the smaller, local-owned businesses. They moved to Great Neck because they like the feel of living in a village just a short train ride from Manhattan. The mom-and-pop stores are an important part of the character of this area.
To her credit, state Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel has announced an initiative to secure more state financing and aid for businesses located near suburban centers with less than 20 employees – what she calls “Main Street” businesses. She is concerned that many of these small-business owners don’t know what is already being offered.
The most pressing problem facing small business in Nassau County continues to be the high property taxes. We have often noted that the county has some of the highest taxes in the country. But it also has some of the best public schools.
We join the chorus of those calling on state and local-government to reduce taxes. Vacant storefronts don’t generate taxes or jobs. The No. 1 priority must be helping the mom-and-pop stores survive and thrive. These stores are the heart and soul of places like the Village of Great Neck Plaza, the Village of Great Neck and villages across the North Shore.
If people want to eat in plastic restaurants that are part of some national chain and shop in mega-malls, even those with with ritzy stores, they may as well live in New Jersey.
