New Yankee stadium hurting local businesses, owners say

While several business owners near the new Yankee stadium had expected to see more customers during the season, a new report from WNYC’s Ailsa Chang suggests that they may actually be suffering because of the behemoth structure on 161st Street. The shopping center inside the stadium, which the New York City Independent Budget Office said received $360 million in tax exemptions and subsidies, is so lavish that store owners in the surrounding neighborhood feel like they can’t compete — game-goers would rather shop inside the stadium than patronize the businesses nearby. “Businesses Just A Couple Blocks Down 161st Street didn’t think they’d be competing against a new mega-mall,” Chang said.