Business owners along the Newkirk Plaza say their profits are being hurt by construction being done to the nearby subway station.

The Newkirk Avenue subway station is getting a $30 million restoration, with repairs being made to the stairwells, platform and station booths. But local entrepreneurs say along with the restoration come inconveniences, such as a fence that?s been put up.

?With the fencing, a lot of people don't come over from the other side,? says Arti Giannopoulos, of Linderman Flowers. ?People are lazy, they don't want to come over.?

Leon Kogut, who owns a local barber shop, is also president of the local merchant association. Kogut says his business is also hurting and everyone directs their grievances to him.

?Everybody is complaining to me - people come to me because their business went down 30 [percent] to 40 percent,? he says.

However, the business owners do acknowledge that the renovation could prove to be a long-term benefit once the plaza looks pristine.