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CRAINSNEWYORK.COM
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APRIL 17, 2023
POLITICS
Lawmakers weigh options as borough jails inch forward Rikers Island’s climbing population sets off alarm bells with its closure deadline rapidly approaching
BY NICK GARBER
B
y now the city was supposed to be well on its way to closing the dysfunctional Rikers Island jail complex. But as the process stalls under Mayor Eric Adams, a group of lawmakers wants to force City Hall’s hand by pushing through
a plan that would drive down the facility’s population. Rikers Island’s population stands at nearly 6,000—well above the target of 3,300 that the city needs to reach by 2027 to fit detainees into a set of four smaller, borough-based jails that are intended to replace Rikers. As the population has stag-
nated and even risen in recent months, Adams has openly cast doubt on the legally binding closure plan put in place by his predecessor, Bill de Blasio. Despite neighborhood opposition, work has slowly progressed on the new jails. Demolition is underway on lockups in Manhattan’s Chi-
natown, Downtown Brooklyn and Kew Gardens, Queens, where new jails will then be built, according to weekly updates posted by the city. Excavation has begun for the new Bronx jail in Mott Haven. But the city’s recent admission See RIKERS on page 6
FAMILY BUSINESS
SMALL-BIZ SURVIVORS Checking in on familyowned businesses that have thrived across generations
BY OLIVIA BENSIMON
F A NEIGHBORHOOD STAPLE: Mitchell Cohen and Skye Greenfield Cohen are the third generation to run Economy Candy.
VOL. 39, NO. 15
See SURVIVE on page 31
© 2023 CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC.
POWER CORNER
BBBS of NYC chief on mentorship’s key role PAGE 11 P001_CN_20230417.indd 1
BUCK ENNIS
loor-to-ceiling shelves of candy and chocolates adorn the walls of Economy Candy on Rivington Street in Manhattan, and a smell of sweetness permeates the air. Foot-traffic has been on the rise as the weather warms and more tourists visit the shop, a welcome relief for Mitchell Cohen and Skye Greenfield Cohen, the husband-wife pair that runs the shop. “My parents came in for the first time in years, and they were saying they couldn’t count the number of different languages they could hear in the store,” said Mitchell Cohen, referring to Jerry and Ilene Cohen—the second-generation owners who ran Economy Candy after Morris “Moishe” Cohen opened up the shop in 1937. Not all shops were so lucky; the pandemic devastated such small businesses nationwide, and in the city, 4,000 closed permanently in the first few months of shutdowns, according to data from the city comptroller’s office. An audit from the comptroller found that the city’s Department of Small Business Services was not diligent enough in ensuring equitable distribution of Covid-19 assistance to businesses in need, putting many of the storefronts that create the city’s character into further crisis. Crain’s checked in with a handful of small businesses whose generation-spanning presence has
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