Chrysler Building Workers Suffer Due To Increased Security

New York One News ^ | 6/28/02 | Susan Jhun

[areafiftyone]

In her latest "NY1 For You,” Susan Jhun reports on some New Yorkers who work in the Chrysler building, where extra-tight security has had a negative effect on business.

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At ALCO Lock and Safe Company, they know all about tight security. But they also know that since September 11, security in their building is so tight that they say they're losing all their business.

“Maybe 80 percent, 70 percent of the business comes from the walk-in people coming from the subway or going to the building,” said Alco manager Luis Perez, “and everything is sealed up and it's very hard to make business.”

It's not just the locksmith that feels that way. Five other tenants on the arcade level of the landmark Chrysler building are up in arms about security closures.

At Chrysler Camera Repairs, they say they've lost over 75 percent of their business.

“I appreciate the security but at the same time, it really affects us terribly because what we depend on is the traffic and it's not coming through,” said Raj Naraine, owner of Chrysler Camera Repairs.

Tenants said that since September 11, their building management, Tishman Speyer, closed off entrances to their lower level on three separate occasions, without warning.

Immediately after September 11, tenants said all arcade level entrances were closed for a period of two months, with the exception of one entrance.

Residents said they were blocked off for another week at the end of January. Over Memorial Day weekend tenants said three entrances were closed and only reopened after NY1 called the building management.

Tenants claim the doors to the 43rd Street entrance have remained closed since September 11.

Woo Gi Kim, owner of Lesler Deli, said his business is down 60 percent from these constant and extended closures, especially at the subway entrance. He said the closures are killing his business.

“Once people change their route, it takes time to come back to the store,” Kim said. “Some customers never come back.”

Next door at O'Henry's Film Works, workers said 85 percent of their business comes from foot traffic.

“In the morning, they come from the subway go up to 43rd Street,” said O’Henry’s owner Ingrid Pergament. “And this store is right there and they drop off their photo finishing work.”

At Chrysler Cleanings, owners said they've lost a tremendous amount of business from people who don't want to bring their clothes in for fear that they may not be able to pick them up.

The tenants said it's impossible to pay rent when you have no income and although they've made many attempts, they said Tishman Speyer is not willing to work with them.

“More or less, their attitude is tough on you,” Pergament said. “We have to take care of the building, but at the same time, we signed a lease with the belief that this is a good spot for retail.”

“We tried to contact manager and ask them to open but they didn't respond,” Kim said.

Other tenants said they've suggested alternatives, to no avail.

“They should get another guard to open up the doors,” Perez said. “We are supposed to be going on as usual, like the president said, we are supposed to be normal. I understand that every once and a while they get a threat. Fine. But not two, three months.”

NY1 contacted Tishman Speyer and they issued this statement:

"We regret that the businesses of some of our tenants have recently suffered. ... Following federal and city security alerts, we wanted to more closely control access to the Chrysler building on three separate occasions.”

But tenants say if the building insists on closing the entrances, there should be rent reductions or some sort of compensation for their loss of business. After all, they say, they still have to pay premium rents for spaces that customers can't get to.

NY1 will continue to follow this story.

[Vidalia]

Yep, Baby doll, that's so bad it beats DEATH, doesn't it?

[areafiftyone]

Every building in NYC has heightened security. We all go thru the mill when we go into our buildings. I would rather do that than have the buildings be the way they were before 9/11. When I think about the way they were - it scares me.

But of course, it was just a matter of time before someone started whining about it.

[Question_Assumptions]

When I was doing some work on 3rd Ave., I used to walk through the Chrysler Building from the subway station under Grand Central. There are a lot of shops down there and I can see their problem. I used the deli down there because it was on my way. I don't think I'd go down there from the street.

As for NYC building security, I think it is too uneven to be really effective.

[areafiftyone]

Alot of the old buildings that are smaller don't have any security. I have gone into a few and no one is in the lobby watching people from the desk. Its kinda scary. They have the big security in the large buildings where the elevators are roped off.