Lip service from the Dinowitzes on Knolls

To the editor,

Along with about 150 of my neighbors, I attended a second standing-room-only “the Knolls” meeting in the basement of 80 Knolls Crescent. It was announced that the space occupied by the former Rite Aid on Knolls Crescent, vacant since July 2025, was officially to be the home of a newly expanded Ben’s Market in collaboration with the national chain, Fine Fare. While this, of course, is great news for the community it is a Band-Aid on the greater problem of vacant storefronts, both in the Knolls and throughout the community.

Assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz and his son Council member Eric Dinowitz attended, finally acknowledging our community pressure. They swooped in at the very moment a partial success was to be celebrated so … what role did they play in negotiating the deal between Bens and the corporate Fine Fare?

This arrangement is a one-off, not a scalable solution to an ongoing problem. As the Dinowitzes spoke, I was struck by their silence up until now as this situation has existed for quite some time throughout the city.

An attendee brought up a bill currently in the state legislature that would partially roll back the destructive practice of granting tax credits to landlords who keep their storefronts vacant. Despite being one of the most powerful individuals in the state legislature, Assembly member Dinowitz deflected any responsibility for the current status of the stalled bill, adding that it was unfortunately “stuck in the process” and that we in the community should continue to be vocal and push.

Isn’t the whole point of having an elected official with so much seniority to use that power and push through legislation that his constituents want? He’s been our assembly member for 34 years, so where has he been? New York State Campaign Finance Board reports help answer my question: he accepts donations from the real estate lobby.

Politicians suddenly showing up during an election year to placate and mollify us is merely an illusion that they are on our side, while they speak from both sides of their mouths, their palms are out for money from the greedy landlords and other real estate entities that are causing the problem in the first place.

LISA AMOWITZ