Restaurants on Ninth Avenue ordered to remove outdoor dining structures for water main repair, sidewalk expansion project
NEW YORK -- Ninth Avenue is looking a little different.
Several Hell's Kitchen restaurants have been ordered to remove their outdoor dining structures.
The city says it's necessary for a water main repair and sidewalk expansion project. The mayor says not to worry -- the outdoor dining structures will be allowed to return.
Still, businesses say this couldn't have come at a worse time.
"Summer is coming. Outdoor dining is important," said Jordi Sannella, of Norma.
"It would have been great to use those dead months when nobody wanted to sit outside," said Caitlan Lestesr-Sams, of Alfie's.
"We're telling those on Ninth Avenue, hold on, they're coming back. We know it was a real boost for the economy. It helped our restaurants. It kept them afloat," Mayor Eric Adams said.
The mayor says he wants to see the sheds beautified and standardized.