Brooklyn Neighborhood Angered at Loss of Sole Supermarket
Hundreds turn out for heated community meeting in Windsor Terrace
- Brooklyn, June 14 -- Residents of Brooklyn's Windsor Terrace area, my neighborhood, filled the auditorium at a local church Thursday night, to log their anger at the closure of the local Key Food supermarket. 80-year-old Sheldon Gellar, the owner of the Key Food, has opted to sell the site to Walgreens, as the New York Daily News recently reported. The chain drugstore operator plans to gut the property and re-open it with more limited grocery options.The disappearance of the only sizable food market in a mile radius threatens to turn this residential enclave into an urban food desert.
I may be only liveTweeting whippersnapper at this #WindsorTerrace community mtg tonite in re @keyfood. Hyperlocal Lois Lane, that's me.- Room is PACKED. Local activist says it's the best turnout at a #WindsorTerrace community meeting ever.
- Gellar wishes to retire, and Walgreens made the best offer for the site, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz--who with his wife lives a couple blocks from Key Food--told the crowd. Since Key Food stores are independently owned, there was nothing the parent corporation could do about it.
- Boro Prez Marty Markowitz thanks everyone. "Came as total shock and unhappiness" to hear that @Keyfood would close in #WindsorTerrace.
- Local pols City Council member Brad Lander and State Assembly member Jim Brennan, along with members of Community Board 7 and the civic group Windsor Terrace Alliance, were also present.A Walgreens representative tried to strike a conciliatory note with attendees about the shuttering of the supermarket. But the crowd became frustrated when he was unable to say whether or not the property sale had been finalized, or when the replacement store would open.
- Walgreens rep faces a chilly crowd. "Unfortunate we had to come together with #WindsorTerrace in this format." i.e. closing only supermarket
- Walgreens sez will do lot of meetings with #WindsorTerrace community about composition of new store.
- Plan: Possession in July or Aug. Re-opening date officially 3/2013 [crowd mutters]. Rep says he hopes for Sept/Oct #WindsorTerrace
- Walgreens rep: New store will have around 20-30 employees. Encourages all current #WindsorTerrace @Keyfood employees to apply.
- Sez #BayRidge store "was very happy ending." Boos from crowd; #WindsorTerrace not convinced.
- He had to stand and take it as person after person came to the mic to vent angrily about losing Key Food to a chain drugstore:
- Questions begin: "What was Walgreens thinking? We have two good pharmacies here, what happens to them?" #WindsorTerrace
- The crowd at this #WindsorTerrace is very hostile to Walgreens rep. He seems to be taking it in stride (longtime Bklyn operator)
- Woman very concerned about increase in drug robberies, espc as there are K-12 schools nearby; overwhelmed with emotion. #WindsorTerrace
- Woman: "We should boycott you" unless Walgreens agrees to carry 90% food. "I've spent days in jail for boycotts!" #WindsorTerrace
- Leonora, owner of local Babbo's Books: "50 people will lose jobs at KeyFood. Will you hire 50 ppl?" #WindsorTerrace
- Many people voicing concern about how senior citizens will get groceries when there's no local supermarket in #WindsorTerrace.
- Quality of #WindsorTerrace as a little town within #NYC really coming out at this meeting.
- Woman: Will you be building upwards, condos or anything like that? Walgreens: No, I can guarantee we won't. #WindsorTerrace
- Man: "My wife wants to know if we'll be able to buy our Thanksgiving turkey at Walgreens." #WindsorTerrace
