SLAP OF LUXURY
Mayor: I don’t care about 5th Ave. stores
Ever dismissive of the tax revenue he spends, Mayor de Blasio shrugged off the problems of Fifth Avenue luxury shops tied up by security at Trump Tower after The Donald’s election. “I will not tell you Gucci and Tiffany are my central concerns in life,” he said.
That’s rich. Mayor de Blasio said Wednesday that he’s got bigger problems to worry about than how Tiffany and Gucci — world-famous retailers that lure tourists by the truckload and generate millions in taxes for the city — are coping with the security cordon around Trump Tower.
“I will not tell you that Gucci and Tiffany are my central concerns in life,” the mayor told reporters.
Tiffany, a Trump Tower neighbor, said it was forced to cancel its annual holiday-window unveiling event at its flagship store, although it remains open to shoppers who aren’t deterred by barricades that line Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th streets.
Leslie Garrett, director of the Nohra Haime Gallery, directly across from the tower, said de Blasio’s comments are “pretty flippant.”
“I would expect better from our mayor,” she said.
Garrett pointed out that it’s not just Gucci and Tiffany that are hurting because of the security cordon.
“Every retail store, every garage, every other business around here had zero customers on Saturday [because of the protests],” she said.
“We’re an art gallery, and clients are canceling because they can’t get here. We’ve been getting close to zero foot traffic, also.”
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, a board member of the Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District, condemned the mayor’s remarks.
She said she was strolling along Fifth Avenue over the weekend and “it was insane. The stores were empty, and the employees were peering out the window looking for customers. That never happens.”
Brewer noted that high-end retailers depend on the holiday season to pay their lofty rents.
“I think all the stores need to have as much business as possible, especially during the holiday season. They’re paying high rent, many are icons in the area, and they need the support of the mayor, myself and customers. They should not be maligned in any way,” she added.
John Doci, manager of Il Tinello Ristorante, on 56th Street, said business has been abysmal and he found the mayor’s remarks “insensitive.”
“We are struggling,” he said. “Business is down 30 percent. We’re having a problem with customers being stopped by police, deliveries not being able to get through. It’s horrible.”
Gucci and the Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District, whose president has been vocal about retailers’ concerns, did not respond to requests for comment.
De Blasio met with reporters after a 62-minute meeting with the president-elect at Trump Tower and conceded that traffic in the already-congested neighborhood will be a serious issue as the holiday season approaches.
Hizzoner is planning a press conference with Police Commissioner James O’Neill on Friday to discuss traffic concerns.
“The commissioner is meeting with the Secret Service shortly and will be in a much better position to give you a sense of the balance that we will strike,” de Blasio said. “Obviously, traffic in Midtown has to flow and obviously the president-elect and his entire team have to be protected.”