Tenants at Pleasantville Village Plaza are demanding urgent management reforms as the state-owned Housing Development Corporation (HDC) reveals staggering financial losses across its commercial portfolio. HDC Chairman Feeroz Khan disclosed that seven commercial properties, including the Pleasantville facility, generate merely $1 million annually while accumulating $10 million in maintenance costs—a tenfold deficit he called economically indefensible.
Opened in November 2006, the Pleasantville plaza contains approximately 50 retail units (225-500 sq ft) renting from $1,300 monthly, plus a 175-seat amphitheater available for $2,500 bookings. Theoretical maximum revenue would approach $780,000 annually at full occupancy, but during a January 5 site visit, Newsday observed at least a dozen vacant units despite apparent tenant demand.
Collin Douglas, owner of Cappadonna’s Ice Cream and an original tenant, described deteriorating conditions since the plaza’s inception two decades ago. ‘The red-tape is excessive—they demand excessive personal documentation yet fail to lease long-vacant units,’ he stated, criticizing HDC’s inadequate marketing and bureaucratic hurdles.
Newer tenant Dale Haynes of Abalaye Spiritual and Cultural Shop revealed systemic administrative failures: management records falsely showed occupied units as vacant, while rent receipts arrived months after payment. ‘They accused us of unpaid rent until we provided proof—their internal systems need complete overhaul,’ Haynes noted, though he acknowledged strong foot traffic and community support.
Multiple anonymous tenants reported severe infrastructural neglect, with pigeons and stray animals now dominating common areas. Community member Roxanne Cruickshank, a 50-year Pleasantville resident, emphasized the plaza’s vital role providing food, banking, and medical services, preventing travel to San Fernando.
The financial crisis extends beyond Pleasantville. Chairman Khan, speaking at a January 4 media conference, accused the previous administration of leaving $600 million in unpaid contractor bills, a $300 million pension fund deficit, and $150 million in maintenance contracts allegedly awarded to political affiliates. Construction costs per unit reportedly surged from $500,000 to $2 million over the past decade.
Neither former Housing Minister Camille Robinson-Regis nor Khan responded to follow-up interview requests. As HDC’s commercial operations face intensified scrutiny, longtime tenants like Douglas fear an uncertain future: ‘I depend on this plaza entirely—I have no other employment.’