Midwood Market Deal Attracts Criticism
Yesterday Streetsblog reported about how Moisha’s Discount Supermarket in Midwood is slated to get $2 million in tax breaks via the Economic Development Corporation’s FRESH program to expand. The EDC’s program is designed to bring more and better grocery options to underserved communities but “along with 15,000 square feet of supermarket…the neighborhood will be receiving…
Yesterday Streetsblog reported about how Moisha’s Discount Supermarket in Midwood is slated to get $2 million in tax breaks via the Economic Development Corporation’s FRESH program to expand. The EDC’s program is designed to bring more and better grocery options to underserved communities but “along with 15,000 square feet of supermarket…the neighborhood will be receiving 18,000 square feet of parking.” The blog concludes that the amount of parking planned is excessive: “Moisha’s is a perfect example of how when it comes to parking, EDC needs to do better. EDC calculates, for example, that helping Moisha’s expand will create around $3.7 million in new tax revenues over 25 years, but the agency doesn’t break down how they reach that figure. That leaves important questions unanswered. For instance: Would the Moisha’s project provide more economic benefit if, instead of devoting so much space to car storage, EDC helped them build housing or additional retail space? EDC did not respond to Streetsblog’s request for that information.” The Daily News, meanwhile, picks up on the story today from a different angle: “The Daily News counted 10 markets within 5 blocks of the store, all selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Owners Moisha and Barry Binik and their families have doled out at least $41,690 in contributions to local pols in the last decade. ‘This is not an underserved neighborhood,’ said Louie Mancuso, 60, who lives across the street. ‘That’s a fraud.'”
EDC-Backed Supermarket to Build More Space for Parking Than Groceries [Streetsblog]
Politically-Connected Supermarket Sparks $2M Food Fight [NY Daily News]
Photo: Google StreetView via Streetsblog.
It’s that damn Bloomberg… he’s basically a puppet of the Orthodox Jewish Vegetable Mafia!
Graft and corruption at its finest.
Ethics probe, anyone?
Travesty. Underserved neighborhood? The place has been in existence since 2000. Obviously, somehow people are making it over there, otherwise they’ll be out of business. Folks that can afford to drive themselves there are not hurting financially and have other options.
Total bullshit.
I wonder who asked EDC to bend the rules and give tax monies supposedly going to underserved communities to expand an existing supermarket in a well-served community? People should go to jail for this sort of thieving; I can’t stand it when politicians use tax money as their own party favors.
And obviously, people who have cars aren’t relegated to shopping in local markets. EDC money should be reserved for communities where people don’t have the option of driving to Fairway.
which pols got the money?