By Stephen Stirling
More than a dozen community and city agencies held meetings last week with Flushing business owners who lost their livelihoods when a two−alarm fire gutted two buildings on Roosevelt Avenue, forcing the structures to be demolished.
Officials from the Flushing Business Improvement District, the Flushing Chinese Business Association and Community Board 7 as well as the office of City Councilman John Liu (D−Flushing) brought in several city agencies to offer counseling and other services to the half a dozen business owners who were victims of the fire, which destroyed 136−13 and 136−15 Roosevelt Ave. Oct. 29.
“The goal of today’s meeting was to provide direct assistance to all the owners affected and to coordinate government services in response to the fire and emergency demolition,” said Flushing BID Executive Director Mabel Law following the Nov. 5 meeting. “We accomplished that with the help of all the owners who came and the agency officials represented at the meeting.”
Law said officials from the city Department of Small Business Services, Queens Business Solutions Center, city Office of Emergency Management, city Department of Environmental Protection, city Department of Buildings, city Department of Housing, NYPD, city Department of Health and mayor’s Community Affairs Unit provided information about grants and individualized counseling to business owners.
More than a half−dozen businesses were destroyed or sustained serious fire and water damage as a result of the fire, which started shortly after 2:30 a.m. Oct. 29.
Two salons, a psychic reader’s office, a Payless Shoe Source, a Taco Bell, a Pizza Hut and an apartment were destroyed in the blaze. The fire also caused problems at the nearby No. 7 subway station, although the station sustained no serious damage.
Fire officials said the cause of the fire was still under investigation Tuesday.
Liu praised city agencies for acting quickly to help get businesses back on their feet and promised to continue to provide aid to all involved moving forward.
“Last week’s fire was devastating for the owners involved, many of whom had built up their businesses over several years, only to see all their hard work evaporate overnight,” Liu said. “We commend SBS and other city agencies today for moving with lightning speed to reach out to these entrepreneurs and help them get back on their feet as quickly as possible.”
Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e−mail at Sstirling@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 138.
