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Vol. 35 No. 5
JANUARY 25 - 31, 2024
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V.S. is mixed on bump in minimum wage
Green Acres officials plan on redesigning a portion of the mall’s exterior to include walkable green spaces, outdoor dining, more outside entrances, and better parking access to stores. At right, Ari Malul of the Commercial Industrial Brokers Society.
The wage increase has been met with as much praise from labor advocates and low-wage The minimum hourly wage working families as frustration on Long Island has climbed from from local businesses fearing $15 to $16 starting this year the added financial stress. “There is hardship for some thanks to a mandate, brokered by lawmakers in Albany and smaller businesses,” noted Trasciatti. “EspeGov. Kath Hochul in cially for those who last year’s budget have to compete deal. with businesses in The intent of the other states where minimum wage the minimum wage hike is to help in may be lower like reducing poverty Pennsylvania, for and financial inseexample.” curity for low-wage, Some businesses, working families already strained by grappling with lingering inflation inflation and the and pandemicstate’s swelling cost induced supply of living. shortages, see the “ T h e my t h i s hourly wage uptick that minimum wage VYANCkA kilimeT as another unforeworkers are high owner, seen factor eating school kids, work- Little Sugar Shop into their bottom ing after school at line. This is true in McDonald’s,” said Mary Anne Trasciatti, Director certain sectors like retail, groof Labor Studies at Hofstra Uni- cery stores, childcare, and resversity. “The truth is there are a taurants, where minimum-wage number of minimum wage workers often make up a large workers who are well beyond slice of the labor pool. Valley Stream resident T.J. high school years. A majority of minimum wage workers are Anand, a cer tified public women and some minimum accountant and local business wage workers even have college owner, noted that the newest degrees.” ContInued on pAGe 10
By JUAN lASSo
jlasso@liherald.com
BAL, OCE, LB
Keith Rossein/Herald
Green Acres unveils latest major redevelopment plan By JUAN lASSo jlasso@liherald.com
To an older generation of Green Acres shoppers, it’s officially the end of an era. The Valley Stream mall plans to tear down its vacant Sears department store and Sears Auto store as it undergoes its latest redevelopment. One of the mall’s original anchor department stores, Sears, has steadily fallen out of demand with customers, struggling to survive until it finally declared bankruptcy in 2018. It officially shuttered its doors at the mall in 2021 after nearly 40 years of operation. BAL, OCE, LB
Now, in the hands of the Macerich Co., the California-based real estate investment trust that bought the mall in 2013, new life is being breathed into the languishing remains of the empty property. Rather than a department store, landscaped open spaces, parking lots, and dining terraces are expected to stand in the place of the 144,000-square-foot building. The develope r s w i l l a l s o b e r a z i n g t h e fo r m e r 116,000-square-foot Kohl’s department store to make way for a large spread of retail stores and restaurants with outside entrances. ContInued on pAGe 10
January 25, 2024
Great Homes the Ultimate Local Home showcase
T
he minimum wage isn’t affecting my business. What’s affecting it is the cost of everything else.