Clason Point restaurant owner says nearby sewer project is affecting business

A Clason Point seafood restaurant says a city project fixing the sewer has caused major problems for the restaurant.
Ricky Chambers, the owner of Blackgal Seafood on Patterson Avenue, says his restaurant has been open for what he calls a tough three years.
Chambers says the nearby sewer project is to blame.
“That strenuous smells are coming in here,” says Chambers.

He says along with the smell, there were road detours that made it tough for delivery drivers to get to the restaurant.

“The Uber drivers were not getting out [of] their car to walk down the block and get the food for deliveries, so therefore I was losing business and the order would be canceled,” says Chambers.

The roads are back open, but Chambers says the sewer problem is ongoing.

“Originally we had a sewer line backup which it overflowed in the kitchen throughout the bathroom, and it was making its way to the kitchen area, we had to call a contractor,” says Chambers.

The Department of Design and Construction told News 12 in a statement, “We're aware of this business and our community construction liaison for the job has been in contact with the owner several times in the past. Vehicular access to the business has been maintained at all times during construction. Also, the plumber's receipt (below) does not indicate any damage to their sewer line or any kind of broken pipe. the receipt indicates that the restaurant had a backup in its sewer line that was caused by grease and muck, and that the plumber they hired used a high-pressure water jet to clear the backup. Grease blockages are a common issue for restaurants in NYC and are not caused by construction work, but rather by grease discharge into the sewer line."
The department says the community construction liaison is reaching out to the restaurant again to see if there's anything else the DDC can help with.

And as far as the smell, the DDC told News 12 a contractor installed an odor control system that sprays an odor control mist.