Food Bazaar located at 1590 Gates Ave. (Google Maps)
June 11, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan
A developer planning a high-rise luxury tower on the site of a Ridgewood supermarket will present his plans to the public for the first time tonight at a community forum.
The event, hosted by Council Member Antonio Reynoso and local advocacy group the Ridgewood Tenants Union, will take place at 6 p.m. at Learners and Leaders elementary school, located at 378 Seneca Ave.
Real estate developer Avery Hall is planning the high-rise tower for 1590 Gates Ave., the site of a Food Bazaar grocery store. While plans for the tower have not yet been made public, the Ridgewood Tenants Union is raising concerns about the potential loss of the affordable neighborhood grocery store.
Ridgewood residents have spoken out about losing valuable community resources, particularly grocery stores, to real estate developers in recent years. In 2018, residents held a rally opposing a proposed 27-story tower at another Food Bazaar, located at 452 Wyckoff Ave., just two blocks from the Gates Avenue site.
While Reynoso has not yet taken an official position on the new Avery Hall plans, according to a spokesperson, he spoke out on behalf of Ridgewood tenants at the 2018 rally against the Wyckoff Avenue proposal.
“We have to make sure we have a balance in these communities, that we are preserving the nature and character and people who helped build this, while also being inviting to new people,” Reynoso said at the rally.
The Gates Avenue site would not be Avery Hall’s first development on a property that was previously a grocery store. A two-building project by Avery Hall is currently underway in Park Slope, Brooklyn on the site of a former Key Food. Avery Hall has reportedly included a 22,000 square foot grocery store in the development’s plans, which is noticeably smaller than the 30,000-square-foot Key Food it will replace.
Avery Hall did not respond to requests for comment.
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6 Comments
When Hispanic group moves into the neighborhood, and pushed German and Italian out of the neighborhood they dont call that stealing the neighborhood. We welcomed them and now they turn around and dont welcome anyone else.
We should welcome everyone to the neighborhood not because they make more money or they are gentrified. The RTU is protesting because they dont want new comers displace their own Hispanic race and eventually displace their own politician. This fight has nothing to do with affordable housing or save the Food Bazzars. There are many other supermarkets in the neighborhood withing 5 blocks radius including another Food Bazzar two blocks away on Wyckoff Ave. This RTU group is trying to destroy everyone who open biz or corporation like Amazon. It’s disgusting. It doesnt represent us.
I would like the neighborhood to develop and not going in back in time. eversince Dominican, Ed and Puerto RIcan moved in the neighborhood is full of trash. they dumps everything on the street and from their cars. Music is played loud every car passes by. they need to go
I agree just another way to price out people that live in the neighborhood. That so could replacement supermarket won’t even be affordable. They would bring in a supermarket that charges higher prices that what food bazzar charges now. Forcing people walk 2-3 blocks further to the other supermarket on Wyckoff cause it to be more crowded. More people would have to go to BJ’s which is a further hike, its not right that the elderly would be forced hike up that long incline to get to the train station.
This is just another way to price out the people who live in the neighborhood. Are this apartments going to be affordable and available to current residents in Bushwick and Ridgewood ? This is what should be considered before allowing these developers to come and steal our communities. The hue of the neighborhood has changed. These new people don’t care about the current residents.
“Steal your neighborhood?” You need to own something before it could be stolen. As a fourth generation Ridgewood resident and homeowner I welcome the market rate housing and new comers, at least they don’t graffiti our homes and toss McDonald’s bags in our yards. Good riddance to much of the trash being priced out of the area. I do hope provisions could be made for the affordable supermarket to remain nearby.