QUEENS — A Forest Hills Community Board voted Wednesday against recommending that a new boxing club be given a special operating permit by the city, but the new gym isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet.
The board said that the owner of TITLE Boxing Club, which opened last week on Austin Street in Forest Hills, failed to appear at the meeting so that the board's concerns could be addressed.
The club needs a special permit because the current zoning does not allow sport venues to operate in the area without special approval, said Steven Goldberg, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee at CB6, which includes Forest Hills and Rego Park.
Goldberg said the committee had a number of questions for the club’s owner, including hours of operation and whether the ring installed at the club will be used for training only or for bouts as well.
Alex Aires, one of the boxing club's managers, said Thursday that the venue has not received notification from the Community Board and that the boxing club will continue to seek the permit.
"We would be glad to show up and speak to the community board," said Aires. "We've been waiting for this for months. We are trying to help the community."
He added that there may have been some confusion with the mail because the building has two addresses.
If the club plans to host bouts, Goldberg said, the committee wanted to know what kind of first aid equipment and training the employees have in case of emergency.
In the past, CB6 has voted in favor of special permits for two other gyms in the area — Lucille Roberts and New York Sports Club.
The final decision regarding the permit will be made by the NYC Board of Standards and Appeals. The community board serves only in an advisory role.
Jeff Mulligan from the BSA said that it's not uncommon that venues seek a special permit after they have already opened. In those cases, he said, "the applicants have sought to legalize the establishment after it already began operating."
