By Joe Anuta
If you cannot find a parking space near New York Mart in Flushing, try looking up.
The large supermarket on the corner of Bowne Street and Roosevelt Avenue filed an application with the city to have parking on its roof.
“We thought it was a pretty good idea,” said Ira Gross, whose company rents the property.
The owner of New York Mart is seeking to build a ramp off of Bowne Street that will lead to the top of the supermarket. The lot will be designed to hold nearly 50 cars, according to the application.
A loading dock set back from Bowne Street will provide the space to build the ramp, Gross said.
And the roof will feature trees and concealing structures around the large air-conditioning units that currently sit on top of the store, according to Gross.
Gross was not familiar with too many other businesses that have tried to get parking on their roofs, but he thinks it could be a creative way to solve one of the neighborhood’s woes that could get worse in the future.
Parking in downtown can be a pain now, but if a large development goes up nearby, parking spots could become a red-hot commodity.
Flushing Commons, the $850 million, mixed-use complex, is proposed to take the place of Municipal Lot 1.
The developer, TDC Development, is providing interim parking while the project is built, but one of the main lots will be on College Point Boulevard — and farther away from New York Mart than the current lot.
The parking could also be a boon to the store.
“They need more volume to sustain a full operation,” Gross said, adding that foot traffic alone is not enough. “The parking is not just a convenience, it is good for the customers.”
Community Board 7 Chairman Gene Kelty said using existing space for more parking is a good idea, but safety should come first.
“I would want to make sure the roof can hold it before we try anything,” he said.
According to Gross, the supermarket will be reinforcing the structural pylons that are already in place, instead of sinking new ones.
But the details of the plan have not yet been made public, and will be heard by a Community Board 7 committee April 18.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
