Six of the eight candidates competing to replace term-limited Melissa Mark-Viverito as City Council speaker said Wednesday they support commercial rent control to save mom-and-pop shops.
“We’ve seen enough Duane Reades,” said Manhattan Councilman Corey Johnson at a forum hosted by Crain’s New York Business.
“No offense to Duane Reade or Bank of America or ATM branches, but we need mom-and-pop small businesses. Right now, if you operate in New York City and your lease comes up for renewal, [landlords] can jack up your rent three, four, five times what is was, and [then] the property sits vacant for a long time,” he said.
Five of his rivals agreed, with only Robert Cornegy Jr. of Brooklyn and Ritchie Torres of The Bronx raising objections.
“There could be legal and operational concerns,” said Torres.
It didn’t take long for the real-estate industry to raise them.
John Banks, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said controls over commercial rents would be “an unconstitutional violation of property rights.”
Former Council Member Ruth Messinger called for commercial rent controls way back in 1984.
More than three decades later, no bill that would enact it has reached the council for a hearing, much less a vote.
The 51 council members will elect a new speaker after they take office in January.