Friday, June 25, 2021
Vol. 98, No.42
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Results That Move You
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Quality of life
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Library renovations PAGE 24
© 2021 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL EST ATE. EQUAL HOUSING 110 WALT WHITMA OPPORT UNITY. N ROAD, HUNTING TON STATION, NY 11746. 631.549.740 1.
Evening closures of 7th Street questioned
CALLING ALL SWIMMERS
Board rescinds Thursday closures BY RIKKI MASSAND
In another sign that this summer will be close to “normal,” the Garden City Pool has announced that there will be a summer swim team season. Tryouts are this weekend. See page 57 for info.
At its meeting on Thursday, June 17, the Garden City Board of Trustees voted to rescind the closure of 7th Street every Thursday evening, through the end of the year. There was substantial discussion about the economic struggles many local small businesses are facing as they attempt’ to recover from the pandemic. John Wilton, chairman of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce’s Merchants’ group, addressed the Board of Trustees prior to their decision and spoke about the needs for continued economic growth in Garden City’s downtown, as there has been an increase in the number of businesses which have closed in the past 15 months. Wilton presented a list of a few closed and/or empty commercial real estate storefronts of note, the former HSBC on 7th Street; vacant ‘prime’ commercial space at the corner of Franklin Avenue and 7th Street; Liberty Travel, the former H.L. Gross Jewelers’ location on Franklin Avenue, and the permanent closures of restaurants Asian Moon and Perennial, also on Franklin. Wilton clarified that though some of the businesses and commercial space were faltering prior to the pandemic, the local commercial sector took a hit that Garden City has not really experienced ever before in the 38 years he has lived in the village. “Obviously there has also been a downturn in the office rentals
Village, National Grid to consult on roadwork, paving plans Residents request change See page 42
BY RIKKI MASSAND At their June 17 meeting Garden City’s Village Board of Trustees approved an emergency declaration for road repaving work and ratified payment to vendor Pratt Brothers for the milling and paving of the western half of Jefferson and Roosevelt Streets north of Salisbury
Avenue up to Plaza Road. The project will include milling and repaving of the full intersection of Jefferson and Salisbury. The contract amount for Pratt Brothers for the job is $23,385. This represents approximately half the cost of the roadwork done in this portion of the village recently because Pratt Brothers was paid the other
of parking permit fee
half through National Grid’s project. Village Administrator Ralph Suozzi explained to the board, ahead of its vote last Thursday, that this road paving project came about due to National Grid’s roadwork in replacing their gas main of about 400 feet in length,
Several residents of the Hilton Hall apartment building (67 7th Street) have routinely attended all the Garden City Village Board of Trustees’ meetings since 2017, whether meetings are held in-person or on Zoom, and they have helped inform the Board of Trustees on issues regarding commercial parking and Long Island Rail Road commuter parking taking up spaces in village lot 7N, which is adja-
See page 43
See page 44
BY RIKKI MASSAND
GC Foundation presents business award Troop 1249’s Fun in the Sun drive PAGE 16
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