A small thrift store in Chelsea is at risk of losing customer foot traffic, as a major construction project for the High Line starts. 

The building of a new staircase on West 26th Street and 10th Avenue began in September. But the entrance to the City Opera Thrift Shop – a longtime store that raises money for the New York City Opera – is located directly beneath the construction site. Now the staff, concerned that the obstructed views will mean fewer customers, is seeking ways to mitigate a potential loss in revenue. 

On Sept. 5, Jeremy Forbis, the thrift store manager, spotted flyers that urged cyclists to remove any bikes locked to the High Line staircase. The following Monday, scaffolding and sidewalk sheds went up, covering the shop’s entrance. 

“When it first happened, we had calls almost every day from confused people on the street, ‘Where are you? What happened? Are you still open?’” Forbis said.

The store offers a wide selection of vintage clothing, accessories, antique home décor and books. Every dollar spent supports the New York City Opera, which gets all the proceeds from the business.

But with ongoing construction, Forbis is worried people will stop shopping there.

“While September was flat, October is down nearly 25% compared with 2024,” he said. “Since the project started Sept. 8, sales are down 4% but falling progressively faster.”

The store’s financial losses also affect the New York City Opera. 

“We are a vital fundraising initiative for the opera, really one of the only consistent fundraising efforts,” said Forbis. “So anything that jeopardizes the revenue we raise here has a huge impact on their ability to operate.”

Some customers have already complained.

“I had trouble finding it,” said Kyra Mathison about the thrift store. “I went to the end of the street down the avenue. I had to pull up my maps, and then I realized I walked past it.”

The thrift shop has been around for 40 years — first at 222 E. 23rd St., and later at its current location at 513 W. 26th St. It boasts a dedicated clientele, yet even some regulars now struggle to find the entrance.

“I was really outraged,” said Michelle D. Winfield, a civic leader who’s been a loyal customer for years. “How do you even know the business is there?”

The situation is tricky. Despite the strain on nearby businesses, the construction of the High Line is necessary.

The project is being led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Parks Department, and Friends of the High Line, with funding from the Manhattan Borough President, City Council, and the Mayor’s Office.

“The new stair will replace the existing High Line stairs, which were originally intended to be temporary and had reached the end of their serviceable life earlier this year,” Janelle Grace, PR and communications manager at Friends of the High Line, stated in an email.

City Opera Thrift Shop’s predicament is not an outlier but rather a familiar one for New Yorkers. 

A poll by Tusk Philanthropies revealed that 71% of respondents said the scaffolding laws are due for an update, while 77% recognized the negative impact of scaffolding on everyday life, including harm to small businesses.

The issue caught the attention of City Council Member Keith Powers, who sponsored a bill to reform the city’s outdated scaffolding laws.

“I’m a New Yorker who has walked around the streets of New York for 40 years, seeing our neighborhoods buried in scaffolding,” Powers said. “This came onto my radar when I was running for office because I actually talked to a small business owner who told me he had scaffolding going up, and it was going to put his business underwater because of the impact on visibility.”

The new law, which just took effect, updates design requirements, sets removal timelines, and aims to speed up façade repairs.

But even with the changes, when active construction is involved there’s little that can be done to help the impacted businesses. For now, the staff at City Opera Thrift Shop is looking for creative ways to lure in shoppers. 

“People write about us on social media,” said Arleen Bowman, who has been volunteering at the store every Wednesday and Saturday for the past two years. “We do our own content. We just did a short video of me showing people how to get here. You know, about going through the maze.”

Forbis is also exploring ways to keep the business afloat. “We’re going to try to make some lemonade out of it – do some off-site pop-ups, and open a TikTok shop,” he said.

The construction project is expected to be completed by next spring.

“It’s been difficult, but people know us,” said Bowman. “They love us, they’ll get here.”