El Barrio Residents Fear Subway Expansion Will ‘Rip Apart’ Local Businesses
(DNAINFO) Gustavo Solis — With funding nearly set for the next phase of the Second Avenue subway line, El Barrio residents fear that the expansion will destroy local businesses.
During the first phase of the project, which began in 2007 and stretches between 62nd and 96th streets, several businesses closed down because of the long-term construction.
“I’m very concerned about businesses that are going to be ripped apart,” said Dolores Bates, who sits on the board of directors at the Franklin Plaza co-op on Second Avenue. “What I saw there [south of 90th Street] was awful and what I see here is going to be more detrimental to the people because it’s all mom- and-pop type stores.”