Negotiations over the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route are heating up as the city considers whether to keep it on Seventh Avenue and Times Square for the third year in a row or move it entirely on to Sixth Avenue, according to March 4, 2010 article at crains.com by Lisa Fickenscher.
In 2009, the parade was moved from Broadway to Seventh Avenue, crossing over to Broadway at Times Square.
The article said that a recent meeting between "City Hall officials and the Times Square business community reflected the city's ambivalence over the latest parade route, a fact that is causing great consternation among Times Square businesses that stand to lose significant revenues if the route is moved again."
The article noted that Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, said that "This is a huge issue for businesses in Times Square that cuts across every category - hotels, sign companies, theater folks, restaurants and shops."
The hotels in Times Square, for example, say they are unable to book lucrative reservations for rooms that have a view of the parade until they know where it will take place, the article continued, adding that "they argue, too, that the city could diminish the economic impact of the parade if it's moved to Sixth Avenue because there are fewer hotel rooms, 3,097 to be precise, along Sixth Avenue, compared with 7,244 in Times Square."
The Times Square Advertising Coalition is also concerned about losing media exposure for its signs," the article said, noting that Jeffrey Katz, chief executive of Sherwood Equities, a major real estate owner in the area, said that "We know the parade is an important factor" in what advertisers are willing to pay for a spot in Times Square.
The city and Macy's declined to comment on the discussions, the article said, although a spokesman for the mayor confirmed that no decision has been made.
The article said that "people who attended the meeting say the city raised safety concerns about the narrower corridor and curves in the bow tie compared with Sixth Avenue, as well as the upcoming construction in the pedestrian plaza in Times Square - though that is not scheduled to begin for at least 18 months. Others suggested that Macy's is delaying the decision because it wants to move it to Sixth Avenue."
In 2009, the parade was moved from Broadway to Seventh Avenue, crossing over to Broadway at Times Square.
The article said that a recent meeting between "City Hall officials and the Times Square business community reflected the city's ambivalence over the latest parade route, a fact that is causing great consternation among Times Square businesses that stand to lose significant revenues if the route is moved again."
The article noted that Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, said that "This is a huge issue for businesses in Times Square that cuts across every category - hotels, sign companies, theater folks, restaurants and shops."
The hotels in Times Square, for example, say they are unable to book lucrative reservations for rooms that have a view of the parade until they know where it will take place, the article continued, adding that "they argue, too, that the city could diminish the economic impact of the parade if it's moved to Sixth Avenue because there are fewer hotel rooms, 3,097 to be precise, along Sixth Avenue, compared with 7,244 in Times Square."
The Times Square Advertising Coalition is also concerned about losing media exposure for its signs," the article said, noting that Jeffrey Katz, chief executive of Sherwood Equities, a major real estate owner in the area, said that "We know the parade is an important factor" in what advertisers are willing to pay for a spot in Times Square.
The city and Macy's declined to comment on the discussions, the article said, although a spokesman for the mayor confirmed that no decision has been made.
The article said that "people who attended the meeting say the city raised safety concerns about the narrower corridor and curves in the bow tie compared with Sixth Avenue, as well as the upcoming construction in the pedestrian plaza in Times Square - though that is not scheduled to begin for at least 18 months. Others suggested that Macy's is delaying the decision because it wants to move it to Sixth Avenue."
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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