Welcome to the gates of hell.
Big Apple retailers narrowly avoided having to shell out tens of thousands of dollars in upgrades to their roll-gown gates — as the city has temporarily paused its attempt to begin enforcing an obscure, decades-old law mandating changes to the security barriers this summer.
The 17-year-old measure, passed as an anti-graffiti tactic by the City Council in 2009, requires storefronts to replace solid security grilles with gates that are at least 70% transparent – or else face up to $1,250 in penalties starting July 1.
New “transparent” gates were installed at US Fried Chicken in The Bronx in order to comply with the 2009 law. Khalil AhmedBut efforts from city lawmakers managed to thwart the shakedown Thursday, with Council member Althea Stevens’ introduction of a bill to exempt existing businesses with traditional grilles from the city’s enforcement.
“Since the proposed council legislation includes changes which could potentially impact the applicability of the existing law, DOB will not enforce the current law,” Department of Buildings spokesperson Andrew Rudansky told The Post. “We look forward to continuing to engage with the Council regarding this newly proposed legislation.”
The transparent-gate mandate would allow passersby to window shop and deter would-be vandals from defacing the gates, lawmakers argued at the time of the measure’s passage two decades ago.
But Khalil Ahmed, the owner of the US Fried Chicken chain of restaurants in the Bronx, believes the modification will leave his business more susceptible to lurking thieves.
“These are much lighter to break than the other [gates],” lamented Ahmed, who said he already spent up to $3,000 a pop on new gates across his five locations. “People see through the glass. If they see something … they’re going to break [into] the store.”
The mandate would deter would-be vandals from defacing the gates, lawmakers argued at the time of the law’s passage. UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesPrince Ali, a manager at Yankee Convenience near the Bronx Bombers’ home stadium, said he similarly fears break-ins, but said Wednesday he still planned to change the store barriers within the coming weeks to avoid risking fines.
“It’s not a matter of money, it’s just a matter of security,” he said. “You never know what kind of nights people might have, and we’re surrounded by bars and clubs in the middle of the Yankee season.”
“The fact that the gates are going to be clear gives [owners] a vulnerability of making sure that they can’t have their valuable products laid out,” said Allied Universal security guard Alfonzo Carrillo, who works at a Chase Bank near Yankee Stadium.
But Khalil Ahmed, the owner of the US Fried Chicken chain of restaurants in the Bronx, believes the modification will leave his business more vulnerable to criminals. Khalil Ahmed“You’re able to see inside their businesses after hours when nobody’s around.”
“It’s a burden,” fumed Daniel Gordon, a manager at Bronx-based restaurant Eating Tree, who hadn’t heard of the mandate before a Post reporter inquired about it.
“I already have a full gate,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with it. So, if I have to change it, I have to spend [money] to change it.”
“Requiring business owners to replace their existing roll-down gates at an average cost of nearly $10,000 is not just burdensome; it is unrealistic,” Council member Althea Stevens said. UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesSeveral City Council members agreed the measure will only burden or even shutter small businesses – with Brooklyn Council member Chris Banks going so far as to call the law a “poison pill.”
“There remains little clear evidence of the specific problem this legislation was meant to solve, or whether it has effectively done so,” said Stevens.
“Today, we are in a very different economic reality,” she added.
“Small businesses, especially mom and pop shops, are still recovering from the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, while also facing rising rents, increased utility costs, and inflation. Requiring business owners to replace their existing roll-down gates at an average cost of nearly $10,000 is not just burdensome; it is unrealistic.”
The mayor’s office said they back to exempt existing business from the law after talking with businesses.
“When I’ve talked to small businesses, this law was an issue that they raised. Our focus is on reducing the cost burdens for small businesses and eliminating the bureaucracy that weighs them down. That is the goal of Mayor Mamdani’s executive order focused on small businesses, and it’s why we worked to find some relief for them on this issue,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su.
— Additional reporting by Jordan Donegan
