NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- Several businesses in New York city are taking no chances and are boarding up their windows in case violence breaks out in response to the outcome of the presidential election.
The potential for violent protests is as uncertain as the outcome of the election, but retailers from SoHo to Midtown are taking precautions.
The holiday lights and twinkling icicles on Saks Fifth Avenue's façade promise better days ahead, but at sidewalk level crews spent the night turning the store into something resembling a fortress, WCBS Newsradio 880's Marla Diamond reported.
Kathryn Wylde with the Partnership for New York City, says businesses are rightfully concerned.
"Employers are not only worried about their property and goods being damaged and stolen, they are worried about their employees being safe, so all of this is slowing New York's recovery," Wylde said.
In a letter to retailers and restaurants last week, the NYPD did not recommend boarding up storefronts, but it did ask that sidewalk furniture be secured to make sure it's not used as a weapon.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea told WCBS 880 last week that the NYPD is ready for whatever situation may arise.
At his daily briefing Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at this point there is no specific threat against the city.
"Everyone is concerned about the election results and what plays out after, but I want to emphasize at this moment we don't see a specific challenge, we are ready for all sorts of challenges," de Blasio said. "We'll be ready for anything. I think people should start with the assumption that we're all going on with our lives as always as New Yorkers and that if we need people to take any special precautions we'll be saying it for sure."
The mayor said there will be changes in the NYPD's approach in the handling of any demonstrations that might develop specifically strengthening protections be for legal observers and journalists and taking faster action on any inappropriate police actions. He also acknowledged his administration's continued preference not to use mounted units at protests.
The mayor said the city has not advised store owners to board up their windows, but respects their decision to do so.
"As to the stores, every store owner has to make their own decision, again we do not have a specific threat, I respect the decision of each store owner, we are not giving guidance to store owners to do that, but if that's what they choose to do we certainly understand," de Blasio said.
The mayor maintains there is some chance final election results will not be available Tuesday night or even Wednesday but he adds, "Right now, we're all very troubled seeing the president of the United States question in advance the validity of the election."
A number of businesses, including high-end athletic store lululemon, were already nailing plywood on Saturday.
A few blocks away at the green market in Union Square, Noah Garrand was thinking about how vandalism could impact his Brooklyn business, the NY Distilling Co.
“I guess it’s hard to say, you never know,” Garrand said. “It would be devastating to us, to our business, because it would set us back. You know, we’re working really hard to try to just get business. And with that, it would just be another stress factor.”
Peter Andres is the owner and head baker of Runner & Stone in Brooklyn and lives in Union Square—two areas that saw many demonstrations over the summer.
“We’re about 10 minutes from the Barclays Center, where a lot of protests were happening,” Andres said. “So we’ve been pretty lucky on that front. And then in this neighborhood, it was a little bit crazier. But I do feel like the people in New York are pretty resilient, pretty used to a lot of stuff.”
Andres is optimistic that businesses won’t suffer if there are protests after Election Day.
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Garrand said it might be a good idea to board up just in case.
“I think either way, whoever wins, there’s going to be some sort of disturbance,” Garrand said.
Businesses are still trying to recover from earlier shutdowns due to the pandemic. and Wylde warns if there is more violence and another large-scale shutdown, the winter could be very bleak for New York City's economy.
"That combination is going to mean even a retrenchment," Wylde said. "I think it's a very serious situation in terms of the pace of our recovery being able to bring the million people who are out of work, getting them back to work. I think it's going to be much slower than anticipated."
As of mid-October, Wile said just 10% of Manhattan office workers are back in the office.