Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 11 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 3
Committee: Committee on Small Business
The Committee on Small Business, chaired by Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry, voted on Proposed Introduction 799-A and Resolution 328, both sponsored by Council Member Yusef Salaam, addressing small businesses affected by roadway and infrastructure construction. Intro 799-A would require the Department of Small Business Services to establish grants to business improvement districts and community-based organizations in areas near qualifying City construction projects that fully close a roadway or sidewalk for at least 90 days, with grants of up to $100,000 per organization and direct reimbursements of up to $10,000 per business. Resolution 328 calls on the State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation providing a tax credit to businesses negatively affected by infrastructure construction. Council Members Brooks-Powers and Maloney explained their aye votes, citing construction impacts in their districts. The coupled items were adopted by a vote of seven in the affirmative, none in the negative and no abstentions.
0:16 For school good morning and
0:16 welcome to the New York City
0:18 council what on small
0:20 businesses at this time we're
0:22 asking everyone decided
0:24 electronic electronic devices
0:24 and at no point in time anyone
0:27 should approach sure you begin m
0:33 councilmember chanel Thomas
0:35 Henry chair of the committee
0:37 on small business thank you t
0:40 omy colleagues Maloney santis
0:43 whoa so salam moreno on zum
0:45 and Brooks Powers for joining
0:47 us here today today we are
0:50 voting on proposed
0:52 introduction 7 99 a sponsored
0:56 by a member salam salam in
0:58 relation to establishing a
1:00 support fund for small retail
1:02 businesses affected by roadway
1:05 construction and resolution
1:07 328 also sponsored by council
1:09 members salam calling on the
1:11 New York state legislature to
1:13 pass and the governor to sign
1:16 legislation providing a tax
1:18 credit to businesses
1:19 negatively affected by
1:22 infrastructure construction
1:23 roadway construction is a
1:24 common sight in New York City
1:26 it's often necessary and can
1:28 ultimately lead to economic
1:30 benefits but construction can
1:32 also disrupt a business by
1:34 creating barriers to access.
1:36 Construction that disrupts
1:37 the flow of people can keep
1:40 customers away from a business
1:42 and cause temporary economic
1:45 destruction disruptions
1:46 businesses navigate many
1:47 significant costs to operate
1:49 safely and legally in New York
1:52 City many businesses struggled
1:53 to survive the pandemic and
1:55 even more recently many are
1:58 recovering from tariffs that
1:59 briefly and severely affected
2:01 them so any long time
2:04 construction that could
2:05 further complicate a business
2:07 operation must be addressed in
2:10 New jersey when route 80 was
2:12 under construction to address
2:13 grant program to support small
2:19 local businesses and
2:21 nonprofits impacted by the
2:22 partial in full closure of the
2:25 highway proposed introduction
2:28 7 99 a would require the
2:29 department of small business
2:31 services to establish a
2:33 program of grants to business
2:35 improvement districts and
2:36 community based organizations
2:38 to help support small
2:39 businesses affected by City
2:42 construction projects to
2:44 qualify the bid or would be
2:47 required to demonstrate that
2:48 the businesses within their
2:51 purview fall within a
2:53 qualifying construction
2:54 project area which is defined
2:56 as two blocks from a
2:58 qualifying construction
2:59 project.
3:00 Bids are cbos would then be
3:02 required to consult the
3:04 department of transportation
3:05 website to show that a
3:07 construction project is
3:09 authorized by a permit issued
3:10 by dot for at least 90 days it
3:14 is or on or on behalf of a
3:17 City agency requires full
3:18 closure of a roadway or a
3:21 sidewalk and is located no
3:22 more than one block from a
3:24 commercial corridor these
3:25 grants could be used t
3:27 oprovide services to businesses
3:28 in the qualifying construction
3:31 project area such as district
3:33 marketing public art or
3:35 creative lighting.
3:36 The grants also be used t
3:39 oprovide direct reimbursement
3:41 to small retail businesses
3:42 within the affected area.
3:44 The total amount of grants
3:45 given to us bid or cannot
3:48 exceed $100000 and the grand
3:52 amount must be determined by
3:53 factoring in the amount of
3:55 small retail businesses within
3:57 the affected area and the
3:59 scope of services that the
4:00 organization intends t
4:03 oprovide direct reimbursements
4:04 to businesses could not exceed
4:06 more than $10000 per business.
4:10 Resolution hundred 28 a
4:12 different avenue for a similar
4:14 proposal by calling for the
4:15 state to pass legislation
4:17 providing a tax credit t
4:19 obusinesses impacted by
4:22 infrastructure construction
4:23 both bills seek to resolve the
4:25 temporary yes significant
4:28 challenges businesses face
4:28 wren road and other
4:30 infrastructure construction
4:31 reduces access to their
4:34 business
4:34 . I want to thank tyler walz
4:36 and rebecca borrelia from
4:37 central staff for their
4:39 support as well as my own
4:40 staff franklin richards smith
4:43 derrick slaughter and everyone
4:44 working in the background to
4:46 help make this possible today
4:47 I will now turn it over t
4:49 ocouncil member salam to say a
4:50 few words about his bills
4:52 thank you chair and thank you
4:53 to the members of this
4:55 committee intro 7 9 9 a and
4:57 resolution 3 28 addresses what
5:00 happens to small businesses
5:02 when long term public
5:03 construction closes the
5:03 streets around them New York
5:06 City has a record 183000.
5:08 That's 183000 small
5:12 businesses in operation
5:12 . And many of them depend on
5:14 foot traffic and visibility.
5:16 Research for the minnesota
5:18 department of transportation
5:19 found that independent non
5:20 chain businesses are the most
5:21 likely to be hurt by
5:25 construction and changing
5:27 traffic patterns introduction
5:29 7 9 9.
5:30 A does two things first it
5:31 creates a grant program at the
5:34 s b s forbids and community
5:38 organizations and commercial
5:39 corridors affected by City
5:40 construction that fully closes
5:43 a roadway or sidewalk for at
5:44 least 90 days each qualifying
5:47 project can receive one grant
5:49 of up to $100000 to help
5:52 nearby businesses throughout
5:54 marketing we finding fighting
5:56 and other services second it
5:58 establishes a reimbursement
6:00 program so that small
6:01 businesses near the
6:03 construction can be reimbursed
6:05 for eligible costs for up to
6:09 $10000 per business guarantees
6:11 report to s grantees rather
6:17 audits the spending and
6:19 program runs.
6:19 And this program was for
6:22 three years but 7 9 9 a cover
6:26 City projects and the City
6:26 cannot do this alone during
6:29 the first phase of the secon
6:31 davenue subway and the
6:31 manhattan chamber of commerce
6:33 the manhattan chamber of
6:35 commerce reported that almost
6:36 half of the businesses between
6:38 68 street and 95 street had
6:40 moved or closed within five
6:42 years because of declining
6:44 revenue that is a state that's
6:46 that is state work through the
6:49 emptier and the st needs t
6:51 ostep up too
6:53 . Resolution 3 28 calls on the
6:57 state legislature and the
6:58 governor to provide a tax
7:00 credit for businesses affected
7:02 by infrastructure construction f
7:04 staff wilmer brown and
7:06 legislative director mel fazal
7:07 hussein for their tireless
7:09 efforts from the beginning
7:10 stages of both these items
7:12 also want to thank the
7:14 committee staff tyler isaiah
7:16 walls and rebecca barilla for
7:18 their work on this legislation
7:20 as well as and my co sponsors.
7:22 I urge my colleagues to vote
7:24 yes on both thank you thank
7:27 you chair thank you
7:27 . I now call on the clerk t
7:30 ocall the roll matthew two step
7:31 on out committee clerk
7:33 committee on small business
7:35 roll will vote intro 709 9 a
7:39 and resolution 320 both items
7:42 are coupled chair Thomas Henry
7:46 I Brooks Powers.
7:46 Permission to explain my
7:51 vote
7:51 . Permission granted I just
7:53 wanted to congratulat
7:55 ecouncilmember Salaam on these
7:56 two very important bills
7:58 having a district that has
8:01 been impacted greatly by
8:02 construction and how it's
8:03 impacted our small business I
8:04 think this is a step in the
8:06 right direction I'd also like
8:07 to be added as a co sponsor of
8:10 rizzo number 328 and with that h
8:17 their baked cake outside oh
8:23 , thank you Salaam what I
8:28 Maloney
8:28 . Permission to explain my
8:33 vote permission granted I vote e
8:36 council members salam and my
8:38 district borders the secon
8:40 davenue subway where we saw
8:41 roadway construction really
8:44 impact small businesses so I'm
8:45 really grateful for this
8:46 legislation thank you santos
8:48 as well sir I vote I congrats.
8:54 It's has been described by
8:59 an au
9:00 . Murano I congratulations
9:03 thank you
9:03 . By a vote of seven in the
9:04 afro nibs they were in a
9:06 negative but no abstentions
9:07 the items have been adopted
9:09 thank you this meeting is