Target Responds

I received an email from a Target spokesperson regarding my post the other day about the bricking over of the tree pits on the sidewalk in front of the store:

Prior to Target signing our lease with Muss Development, the NYC Parks Department removed dead trees in July 2015 from the sidewalk area at 7000 Austin Street. Since signing the lease, Muss Development and Target have worked with the city and paid to have the tree stumps ground and sidewalks temporarily bricked over so there wasn’t a tripping hazard. We understand the NYC Parks Department will replace the trees at a future date. I’d suggest that you contact the NYC Parks Department to learn about their plans for this space.

We look forward to working with the city and local community to maintain the green space outside our new Forest Hills, Queens store, scheduled to open July 20, 2016.

Waaay Off Target

Post Update: I just wanted to post an update to my original comments below. I should clarify that when I wrote the post I assumed that Target had no permission to do this to the sidewalk in front of its new store. But, upon discussing it with others, I should amend this post to say that I have no information supporting that assumption. While I am not familiar with cases where a business has received permission to alter the sidewalk in front of its store, until I know for sure I should not jump to the conclusion, and nor should any readers, that Target acted without receiving permission from the City. If Target took this action after getting the OK from the City, then that changes everything—and my issue would be with the City granting that permission. Also, I objected to this based on the photos I saw. As a neighborhood blogger, I should and will visit the site myself and see if there is any worthwhile reason for this construction. It just could be that Target absolutely needed this part of the sidewalk unobstructed in order to conduct its business, for example. I view Target as an excellent addition to our neighborhood—one that will provide a lot of easy access to a wide assortment of products we probably don't currently have in Central Forest Hills, so I want to be as fair as possible to this new store. I think my original post was a little hasty and unfair until we know the full story.

We have a history on Austin Street of builders cementing over these tree pits, even cementing over LIVING TREES believe it or not (hey, it happened at the still-in-limbo construction site next to the Bareburger), so forgive me for being a little, perhaps, over-sensitive to this issue. 


This is truly bizarre behavior for a business just entering our neighborhood and, I'm sorry to say, is the height of corporate arrogance. The squares you see in the sidewalk below used to be home to beautiful trees, something we citizens of New York City can always use more of, not less of. The soon-to-open Target apparently took it upon itself to just brick these spots over to fit with their new store's design. They don't own the sidewalk, and they certainly have no right to assume we will be ok with them taking away the precious spaces we have reserved for our sidewalk trees. It's disgraceful behavior which I hope was the result of just an oversight between Target and the builders of its new store and not actually planned. In any case, it needs to be rectified immediately. (It also makes their co-retailer, Starbucks, look very, very bad.)
Thanks to Michael Perlman for the photos.

NYC Parks Department on the Job

The NYC Parks Department listened to the complaint of the reader who sent me the photos of the harmed trees and they have already corrected the problem. Here is an excerpt from the email he received from a Parks Dept. official, followed by a photo of the results:

"I'm happy to report that yesterday, under Forestry supervision, the contractor removed the concrete from both tree pits and is in the process of constructing wooden tree guards for proper protection.  The condition has been corrected.  Thanks as always for bringing it to our attention."

 The reader tells me:

 "In addition to receiving fines from the city, the contractor removed the concrete , installed fencing and mulch, as mandated by the city. This is exactly what every tree next to a construction site should look like. Hope he learned his lesson and let this be a warning to other contractors."