Recently, members of an immigrant business group, which has voiced opposition to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s initiatives for government-operated supermarkets, have started receiving fines from the city’s Sanitation Department. Some individuals believe this is retaliation for their activism.
Diana Larrazabal, owner of Aroma D’ Angel, a flower and gift shop located at 304 E. 116th St., mentioned that businesses like hers have faced multiple citations from the New York City Department of Sanitation for trash that isn’t even theirs. Her shop has received three fines this year alone, the latest being a $350 charge in May. Many of her Spanish-speaking neighbors rely on her help to navigate the city’s bureaucracy, and they, too, are dealing with hefty fines.
“It’s definitely becoming more frequent,” Larrazabal noted during a press conference organized by the Multicultural Business Coalition, which filed a lawsuit against the mayor and the city earlier in the week due to concerns that the government supermarkets could create unfair competition for their shops.
Frank Garcia, the coalition’s chair, pointed out that the fines started increasing about two weeks ago, coinciding with their campaign to engage local business owners for support regarding their lawsuit. “When we began our door-to-door outreach, that’s when the fines intensified,” Garcia claimed, adding that some business owners are facing penalties as high as $1,000, often without the benefit of English language support.
A spokesperson from the Sanitation Department clarified that cleanliness violations are issued throughout the city, citing that 223 commercial summonses have been handed out in Harlem since March 1. “Our aim is solely to ensure clean streets for all New Yorkers,” they stated.
Regarding the accusations of retaliation, a spokesperson for Mamdani referred back to his comments from Monday, expressing confidence in both the legality of the supermarket initiative and its intended benefits.
The press conference took place near American Deli Mini Mart at East 117th Street and Park Avenue, just a short distance from La Marqueta at East 115th Street, where Mamdani has plans for the new supermarket. Store owner Elvis Arias urged the mayor to consider placing the city-operated grocery store further north on 125th Street instead.
Larrazabal voiced concerns about potentially repeating the negative impacts seen in the community when Costco opened nearby in 2010, leading to the closure of local shops. “We don’t want to see the same thing happen now,” she remarked.
The coalition has been working to identify business owners in Harlem and Hunts Point in the Bronx, where another subsidized grocery project was announced. They plan to name these owners as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
A class-action lawsuit was filed in New York Supreme Court with the coalition as the primary plaintiffs, although more individuals are expected to be added.
Domingo Fernandez, who manages Midtown Fish & Meat Market, briefly spoke in Spanish during the press conference, urging Mamdani to engage with local business owners. He has been running his market since 2012 and, like many, is concerned about the impact of the new store on his livelihood. While he hasn’t faced recent fines from the Sanitation Department, he worries about competition.
Arias noted last week that he may need a tobacco license to compete effectively with the proposed grocery store, quipping, “I’m lucky I have the beer! They won’t have beer over there.”
