Monday, October 10, 2011

NY 1 Reports On Plans For New Roosevelt Island Main Street Retail - Is A Pet Store Among Roosevelt Island Priorities For Main Street?

Image of Hudson's David Kramer from NY 1 Video

NY 1 was on Roosevelt Island last Friday interviewing Roosevelt Islanders regarding plans for new stores on Main Street.

 Image Of NY 1 Reporter in Front of Card Shop

According to NY 1:
Part of Roosevelt Island boasts beautifully manicured lawns, new buildings, and a nice mix of new retailers, but just a few blocks north, the Main Street corridor seems a bit out of date.

"There are a lot of things that we do well, like making sure that the Island is clean, that it's safe and secure, we promote a lot of activities here, but retail is not our expertise, and so we wanted to partner with someone who could provide us with that level of expertise," said Fernando Martinez, vice president for operations at the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation...
and:
... Hudson/Related representatives say they surveyed all 14,000 island residents and quickly learned what they want: things like a wine shop, an ice cream parlor and a pet store.

Some Island residents NY1 spoke with say they're not entirely sure what to expect. Others already have a wish list.

"A lot of people want franchise businesses, McDonald's and Burger King," said one resident.

"What we need is a movie. Small, not big," said another....
Click here to read the entire article and watch the video.

Is, as the Hudson/Related representative claims, a pet store really wanted on Roosevelt Island?

Well, dogs and pets are not wanted on the Riverwalk Commons Lawn,



Firefighters Field,


Roosevelt Landings Courtyard,


Roosevelt Island Historical Society Visitors Kiosk Lawn,



Blackwell Park Lawn,


Rivercross Lawn


Manhattan Park Lawn,


Riverwalk Building Tree Planters and Lawn,




and the Octagon Park Lawn.


Despite not being allowed in these areas, some Roosevelt Island dog owners or walkers continue to ignore these signs and bring their dogs where they are not permitted.




Considering that pet supplies are already available at our local Duane Reade and Gristedes, is a pet store for Roosevelt Island's Main Street a priority?

There is a Main Street Town Hall Meeting scheduled for October 20 at the Good Shepherd Community Center where you can learn more about plans for Main Street retail and express your opinion to the Hudson/Related Master Leaseholder Principal David Kramer.

24 comments :

Judith Berdy said...

We love dogs, its their owners who disrespect public spaces. We watched certain dog owners continually use the lawn as their dogs toilets.  No matter how many times we asked them to cease, nothing helped until a combination of stern-worded signs and our constant vigilance.

Some tenants of one of the new building were the major violators  and they paid no attention to warnings.

The result is now a large dog free area. 

Westviewer said...

I certainly hope that Hudson-Related is smart enough to realize that a pet store is totally inappropriate and unnecessary for Main Street. 

bakgwailo said...

Please no Mc Donalds or fast (fake) food.

bartonfinck said...

I have to jump in here and say that there are many from the old buildings that also bring there large dogs to Southtown to empty their colons and then travel back to their abodes, and never even pick it up!  I think that if all the buildings made it a priority when someone signs a lease, in any building, they have a map of where dogs can be walked and where they cannot...newbies are just ignorant and I think just go places out of habit but if told the right places to walk the dogs, things would be a lot better. I have seen many a pile of poo poo at the oh so important Black Well house and have seen people not pick it up and then trot back to their buildings northbound...PSD should crack down island wide on this practice, and people should take pictures of this when happening and the folks should be fined very much to stop this. A small reward to the people taking the pictures would be great :) and would work out well for all.  

We do need a pet store on the island to sell pet food and to have a dog groomer as well. It could be small and offer all kinds of pets and supplies...please stop harping on the " people in the new buildings "  you were new here one time, did people bad mouth you? I bet so, but it seems everyone hates the new guy, there really is not a welcome wagon here for newcomers, all the old timers hate everyone in Southtown, and that is sad and  just ashame. This island is not your personal property, not matter how long you have live here, and the fact I hear so many run off at the mouth about South Towners is just crazy and absurd. It is like a bunch of kids gosspiping about the new kid in class.

When you old timers moved here, it was for a reason, well, guess what, 20 or so years later, people still want to live on RI...did you think you were the only smart people in NY? 

Try getting to know people before bad mouthing them, or shouting to them about something they had no idea about, you might make a friend or 2.

Thomas Wilkinson said...

Because the only pets on the island are dogs? Can you get tropical fish food at Gristedes? A bird cage at Duane Reade? A hamster wheel? A dog collar? A litter box? So many narrow minded people on this blog. Just because you don't own a pet doesn't mean that a pet store isn't something the residents here could use. Why don't you take pictures of the squirrels, birds and feral cats who use the grass as their toilet too? At least the dogs usually have someone cleaning up behind them. 

YetAnotherRIer said...

What a nonsense reply. Listen, I don't like dogs just as the owner of this blog or others here in the comment section, but having a pet store is probably quite useful. Definitely something I haven't thought about. It's a good idea.

Westviewer said...

Ah, I see what you and Thomas Wilkinson are talking about -- a pet SUPPLY store.  That's a different animal from a pet store.  What I was saying is that we don't have either a critical mass or enough foot traffic for a store that sells dogs, cats, tropical fish, etc.  A small pet supply store would be fine.

Mary_Elizabeth said...

I would and could write an essay in response to the anti-dog comments but I will try not to!
a) In general, it's the owners of dogs that are the problem, not the dogs, a bit of understanding wouldn't go amiss on both sides!b) RI is supposed to be dog friendly but having spent over 2 years here, I see this is only dog tolerance and this Gestapo like vibe on RI will eventually drive a responsible, law abiding citizen away.c) It's a natural state for people to want to live around animals, most people are responsible owners, don't tar everyone with the same brush.d) Lastly, on my many loops of RI I see a multitude of unhealthy and anti-social behavior, to include severe littering, drug taking, open sexual activity and other abuse; if I see it and I know others do..what's being done about this?

roozevelt said...

If you see the types of behavior that bring down our quality of life, report it.  Then, and only then, will you be able to see something being done about it.  If you say nothing, expect nothing!

bartonfinck said...

I agree with you, I smell pot in the air right at the PSD office when walking through there, and see kids loitering on Friday and Saturday nights on the street late in the night, and down by the riverside, is there no curfew here? 

bartonfinck said...

how about enforcing the law on this island that it is against the law and a felony to abandon unwanted animals. For yearsr all of NYC has used RI as a dumping ground for many things, people, cats, dogs, you name it...how bout RI, RIOC , RIRA and PSD and NYPD arresting those breaking the law and dumping their unwanted pets here? It will stop then, and only then....it is not the animal's fault they are dumped outside and left, and also arrest anyone that does not clean up after their dog! It is horrible and is animal neglect in my book, just like locking up your little dogs in an apartment or in the bathroom all day while you work and they suffer and before so frustrated and bark and are unhappy. How can anyone do that to an animal? There is more than one type of animal cruelty and we all must speak up for the fact we will not tolerate it, at all! Are you listening RIOC? RIRA?  These types of issues are what you should be handling everyday, not " fun things" to do. There are so many issues here that are not being addressed. 

bartonfinck said...

Ms. Berdy, if you see them taking their dogs on the lawn, take a picture of it and submit to the building they live...they should be fined and I am sure it will not happen again. 

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