Forest Hills restaurant owners say MTA construction project is keeping customers away
FOREST HILLS, Queens (WABC) -- A restaurant owner in Forest Hills, Queens, says his business is suffering because of an MTA construction project right outside the restaurant.
He says the project is interfering with plans to have outdoor dining after he spent $20,000 to set it up and meet the city's many requirements.
Several other businesses have also complained about the construction impacting business.
The four businesses -- a grocery store, bagel store, Chinese restaurant and an American eatery -- have all suffered financially from the construction.
"Usually, our business is very busy at this time," said Natural Market owner Barun Gautam. "But look it's empty in here now."
Gautam's business neighbor, Paul Singh, who owns The White Radish, told Eyewitness News the MTA outcropping has meant a huge hardship, costing $30,000 a month since last summer.
Parking is gone, and Singh can no longer use his $20,000 outdoor dining shed.
The construction project for the MTA requires them to replace an overpass while the LIRR continues to run, which is expected to take another year.
Business owners are worried they might not be here that long.
"It's a lot of pain I'm in," added Singh. "It's something that can't be expressed in words. It's pain. I can't focus."
The owner of Heena Bagel store, Vishalkumar Patel, is driving for Uber now in addition to working seven days a week to help pay the bills.
"I put in all my life savings, my money I put away for one year to start the business," he said. "I'm losing half the business."
Patel acknowledged the lack of parking and the messed up outdoor dining experience is hurting everybody. He also said there was a porta potty inside the green wrapped area that became a giant problem.
The porta-potty disappeared on Monday.
"All customers saying there was a very bad smell," added Patel.
MTA Chair Janno Lieber addressed the hardships saying, "We always try to work with the local businesses so that they don't have such a hard time of it. We'll take a second look."
The MTA's job is to replace the entire LIRR overpass, which is crumbling and rusty. They're also adding wheelchair and stroller accessibility at an entrance along the same line.
The transit agency argues that the train infrastructure work has to happen, and the construction must go somewhere.
The business owners have their fingers crossed that the MTA can move the construction very soon.
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