From left: The View, Solarium and 10-50 Jackson Avenue

Spring has arrived and new businesses are sprouting up, especially in Long Island City. Local businesses are in flux as new restaurants open, old tenants relocate, and residential buildings find commercial tenants.

The ground-floor retail space at the condominium View along the Queens West waterfront is about to become a gym called Crank, LiqCity.com reported, while the retail space in the bottom of condo 10-50 Jackson Avenue at the corner of 49th Avenue is rumored to be getting a bakery and beauty salon, and Uncle Louie G’s Italian Ices is coming to the remaining retail space at the Solarium, at 5-43 48th Avenue. [more]

Prudential Douglas Elliman broker Rick Rosa is taking his Long Island City listings and experience with him to Nancy Packes Inc. as executive vice president and head of the Rosa Group.

“My business is not going to change in any way, shape or form, just the umbrella that I’m under is going to change,” Rosa said.

Company head Nancy Packes is expanding the business, at 675 East 42nd Street, which has long existed as a rental firm. Packes will retain her title of president at Brown Harris Stevens Project Marketing, but her non-compete clause with BHS has expired, allowing her to expand her own company into new development sales. [more]