This is likely to create some controversy.
John Catsimatidis, a businessman, suggested on Thursday that New York City’s recent prohibition on horse-drawn carriages was actually a tactic to profit the real estate sector.
The CEO of Gristedes and D’Agostino Supermarkets hinted that there’s a greater motivation among certain politicians to remodel three longstanding stables in Manhattan into upscale high-rises rather than genuinely freeing the horses labeled as enslaved.
“The carriage drivers own the buildings on 11th Avenue where the stables are located, and they want to replace the stables with skyscrapers. So, they wish to eliminate the horses!” Catsimatidis expressed passionately on 77 WABC’s “Sid & Friends in the Morning.”
Catsimatidis urged the U.S. Attorney to probe how various “real estate guys,” particularly the stable owners, have covertly driven efforts to abolish the carriage industry.
“They are intent on eliminating the horses. Part of New York’s charm — they want to erase it. I’d like to know who they bribed, and let the U.S. Attorney handle it, as I’m uncertain the local district attorneys will act,” he asserted.
Host Sid Rosenberg emphatically concurred: “You’re absolutely right … It’s all about real estate money.”
The Transport Workers Union, alongside carriage drivers, has highlighted this alleged conspiracy for several years.
The three stables that serve Central Park’s carriage horses in Manhattan are small businesses owned by employees, but they face extinction following the recent introduction of a law that bans the industry by 2028.
“If they are prohibited and we lack income, we’ll have to sell the stables due to an inability to cover property taxes and necessary renovations,” warned Christina Hansen, a carriage horse driver and union representative.
“Real estate developers are hoping the carriage operators will sell,” she alleged.
However, Hansen disputed Catsimatidis’ assertion that stable owners are betraying their community, noting they’ve retained the properties for many years despite ongoing pressure from real estate developers.
The stables are situated on valuable real estate that could be transformed into skyscrapers worth up to $1 billion, with a portion designated for affordable housing, according to Hansen.
The West Side Livery and Central Park Carriages each belong to individual carriage operators, while the Clinton Park Stables in Hell’s Kitchen is jointly owned by 15 former or current drivers, collectively covering a $25,000 monthly mortgage.
A decade ago, the three stables could have potentially sold for around $70 million, past reports indicated.
“To this point, the carriage operation people have held onto their properties because they need a place for their horses. But if there are no carriage horses, who will manage the property taxes? They’re losing their income and businesses — they will have to sell,” Hansen explained.
