Suburban convenience store 7-Eleven has faced an uphill battle to gain acceptance in the bodega-filled land of Manhattan, and the borough’s new president has no intention of making the fight any easier on the chain.
“I hate to say this, but if I see one more 7-Eleven, I’m going to throw up,” Brewer cracked at a CityLaw Breakfast Series on supporting small businesses Friday morning.
Brewer followed the comment by saying new zoning ordinances intended to rein in the size of banks and other storefronts on the Upper West Side are not enough.
Last June, the City Council approved restrictions that prohibit stores taking more than 45 feet of frontage along major commercial streets on the Upper West Side. Specifically, they apply from 72nd to 110th Street on Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, and from 72nd to 87th Street On Columbus Avenue. But Brewer said there need to be another “larger discussion,” about limiting the influx of stores that alter the neighborhood’s character.
“I think it’s a very important issue, particularly for Manhattan,” Brewer said of the neighborhood’s swelling storefronts. “The other boroughs, to be honest with you, do not have as much of a challenge.” [Politicker] — Julie Strickland