WONDERFUL NEWS!
Following consistent urging by the Throggs Neck BID, installation (by the NYC Dept. of Transportation) of new street lights to brighten the BID corridor will begin in May.
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Boiler Room Inspections
The NYC Fire Department is conducting inspections on boiler rooms. For questions regarding boiler issues, read here or call the Boiler Division Hot Line at (212) 393-2661.
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Civil Disturbances
CIVIL DISTURBANCES unfortunately occur from time to time. The Throggs Neck BID spoke with police personnel, who urge common sense precautions. These include safety measures such as making sure unsecured objects such as chairs, tables, and other movable property are removed from sidewalks if disorder appears imminent. Have a plan to deposit cash on a frequent basis to your bank. Expect the Sanitation Department to remove trash receptacles during dangerous periods.
The Governors’ Office has announced that Effective Monday, April 19, the curfew for bars and restaurants will be changed from 11pm to midnight. The curfew for catered events will move from midnight to 1am.
An EATER magazine article reports that “’The curfew extension is a step in the right direction,’ says Andrew Rigie, the executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, but there are still other regulations that restaurateurs and bar owners would like to see removed. ‘The extra hour is good news for restaurants, bars and customers, but we need to also lift the rule that prohibits customers from being seated to eat at a bar in NYC, and revisit removing the requirement that a ‘food item’ be served with a drink”
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GOTITALL Has it all
A new, unique store has moved into the BID.
GOTITALL, located at 3789 East Tremont Avenue has a wide range of merchandise, including, quite literally, everything from kitchen sinks to books, and just about everything in between. Televisions, pet supplies, and even dental supplies are available.
The business employs four people, who manage to keep the store open from 10am to 11pm most days.
We spoke with Idalisse Suarez, who along with Louis Nieves, owns the business. She noted that her enterprise seeks to attract customers from throughout the entire city.
Local Law 29 of 2021 extends the moratorium on the issuance of certain accessory sign violations, and the temporary assistance program for certain accessory signs to January 1, 2023.
Moratorium on Issuance of Certain Accessory Sign Violations
The NYC Department of Buildings will not issue accessory sign violations for business storefront signs that existed before February 9, 2019, and do not exceed 150 square feet in area or exceed 1,200 pounds in weight, unless the sign creates an imminent threat to public health or safety.
The enforcement moratorium is extended to January 1, 2023.
Temporary Assistance Program for Certain Accessory Signs
The Temporary Assistance Program waives all sign permit filing fees for respondents who received a Department sign violation until January 1, 2023 if:
• the summons or violation was for a storefront sign
• The penalty imposed as a result of a hearing held at OATH’s Hearing Division (formerly known as ECB) was entered as a judgment in court NOTE: If the violation was entered as a judgment in court, a Court Docket Date will be listed on the OATH/ECB Violations Details page in the Buildings Information System (BIS).
• the judgment amount was paid between June 1, 2006 and January 1, 2021.
If the summons/violation meets all of the listed criteria:
• submit a job filing and pay the fees in DOB NOW: Build NOTE: In most cases, the raising or lowering of any sign requires a Licensed Sign Hanger. See a list of Licensed Sign Hangers and get additional sign installation information from DOB’s website.
• indicate that the filing addresses a summons/violation and provide the summons/violation number
• submit an RF1-Refund Request Application and select Overpayment (OP) in Section 3 (Reason for Refund Request). The Correct Fee in Section 4 (Payment Information) is 100% of the filing fee paid. Attach the following to the completed RF1 – Refund Request Application:
• a copy of the accessory sign summons/violation; and
• proof of payment for the entire judgment amount (i.e., a copy of the cancelled check or a credit card statement); the proof of payment must include the date the payment was made – please attach a copy of the court judgment if you have it, although the judgment is not required – see the RF1 instructions for form submission details.
For additional business assistance, contact NYC Small Business Services. Please note in the How can we help you? field that you were referred by the NYC Department of Buildings per Local Law 28 of 2019.
It’s been just a year since the Throggs Neck Business Improvement District (the BID) opened its doors at 3800 East Tremont Avenue. In those brief twelve months since then, extraordinary improvements have been provided to our community.
We moved rapidly to address key issues.
The BID hired a private security firm to patrol the area and enhance safety, supplementing the work of the dedicated men and women of the 45 Precinct.
In addition, the BID hired a private sanitation firm to ensure that the neighborhood became the cleanest it has ever been, adding to the efforts of the NYC Dept. of Sanitation.
To enhance the local appearance, the BID convinced city agencies to plant new trees. We beautified existing tree pits with new plants and mulch.
A widely distributed newsletter was established, giving business owners the latest information on vital areas such as available loans, grants, how to avoid fines, and profiling local businesses.
Holiday lights were acquired and erected to entice shoppers and diners.
BID personnel assisted local business and property owners with a myriad of problems.
The BID purchased advertising highlighting neighborhood enterprises.
All this was done as COVID-19 ravaged our city, state, and nation. BID personnel and Board members didn’t let that slow down their ambitious efforts! In fact, Bob Jaen and Frank Vernuccio went door-to-door distributing face masks, hand sanitizers, and face shields. And of course, we didn’t forget our first responders, as the BID arranged to have a tree planted in their honor at a touching ceremony at Derosa-O’Boyle Triangle.
Our Second Year is just beginning, and great plans are being made for further accomplishments.
NYC SBS will conduct a seminar providing guidance for food service businesses interested in applying for loans and grants. In addition to providing an overview of the SBA’s Restaurant Revitalization Grant, SBS will share tips to consider before taking on debt, an overview of documents commonly required to apply for a loan, and a summary of other loans and grants that are currently available for NYC businesses.
It will be held on Wednesday, April 7, from 10 am to 11 am.
Apply here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/applying-for-restaurant-loans-grants-in-nyc-qns-4721-tickets-147841051565?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
A link to the webinar will be sent approx. two days before and 20 minutes before the event. Please check your email and spam. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.
From the Restaurant Revitalization Fund
When do you think the grant program will begin accepting applications? We believe it will take some time for the SBA to develop the necessary guidance to applicants and the actual application for restaurant owners to apply for a grant.
Which businesses are eligible to receive a grant through this program? All food service or drinking establishments, including restaurants, caterers, brewpubs, food stands, food trucks, taprooms, and tasting rooms, that are not part of an affiliated group with more than 20 locations.
Which businesses are NOT eligible? ● Businesses part of an affiliated group over 20 locations are not eligible, even if some businesses have different names. ● Businesses that have pending applications under the Save our Stages program are not eligible. ● State or local government-operated businesses are not eligible.
How do businesses calculate the amount of grant funding they can expect to receive from the SBA?
Prior to 2019 = (2019 revenue) − (2020 revenue + PPP loans)
During 2019 = (12 × 2019 revenue ÷ months open in 2019 ) − (2020 revenue + PPP loans)
During 2020 = eligible expenses incurred
Do businesses use gross or net revenue to calculator grant amounts? Businesses use gross revenue.
Do my Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) or EIDL Loan affect total grant amounts? No, only PPP funds are deducted from the total. Using EIDL and ERTC loans do not disqualify businesses from participating in the program.
What is the maximum grant amount? The maximum grant amount is $5 million per individual restaurant and $10 million per restaurant group.
Are the grants treated as taxable income by the IRS? No
What are the expenses that are eligible for the grant? Payroll and benefits (not including employee compensation exceeding $100,000/year), mortgage (no prepayment), rent (no prepayment), utilities, maintenance, supplies (including protective equipment and cleaning materials), food, operational expenses, covered supplier costs as defined by the SBA under the Second Draw PPP program, sick leave, and any other expenses deemed essential by the Administrator.
How long does the coverage period last for this program? Grants can be spent on eligible expenses from 2/15/20 through 12/31/21 and the Administrator may extend the period through two years from enactment if conditions warrant.
What if I cannot use my full grant on eligible expenses? Any funds not used (or not used on eligible expenses) must be returned to the government.
What happens if the $28.6 Billion runs out? It is our hope that Congress will refund the grant pool when it is empty but there is no guarantee that they will.
Which businesses will receive priority from the SBA? $5 billion of the $28.6 billion total is reserved for restaurants with less than $500,000 in gross receipts in 2019 for the first 60 days of the program. The first 21 days of funds will only be made available to restaurants women or veteran-owned, or socially and economically disadvantaged businesses
Should I take the Second Draw PPP or wait for the RESTAURANTS Grant? Due to demand, there is no guarantee that you will be able to receive a RESTAURANTS grant, so it is our recommendation that you exhaust all federal programs that are available to restaurants while you are eligible.
TRAINING
Do you ever wish that you or your employees had more skills to do work more effectively?
MaiiC is offering a no-cost curated selection of over 30 online trainings for industrial businesses and their employees on Coursera. These courses were curated by our MaiiC business leaders. You or your employees could receive industry certifications at no cost!
Many of our MaiiC employers have already taken advantage of this FREE program, enrolling their employees in classes such as: supply chain logistics, business analysis and process management, cyber security in manufacturing, and intro to digital manufacturing with Autodesk fusion 360.
You can view all the offerings here. https://www.coursera.org/programs/maiic-upskilling-program-kyl73
If you are interested in the course offerings either for yourself or any of your employees, please email Alyssa Thomas at AThomas@sbs.nyc.gov and we will send you an email invite to get started right away!
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Indoor Dining at 50%
The State has announced that indoor dining can increase to 50% capacity in New York City beginning on Friday, March 19.