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Fighting to Save Our Markets!
Senator Velmanette Montgomery
September 10, 2015
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Sometimes it feels as if all our communities are changing before our eyes! And while revitalization and change can be very good, they can also be a bit frightening, and even in need of guidance and advice.
In that spirit I held a Commuity Meeting with my colleagues, Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo and Assemblyman Walter Mosley, to allow local residents to speak with the Slate Property Group about a building they will be constructing at 325 Lafayette Avenue where there is currently a very beloved Key Food. The owner of the building is exercising his right to develop on his property, and has partnered with Slate Property to construct an 8 story mixed use building. The first floor will be for commercial tenants and the other 7 stories will be a mix of affordable and market rate housing.
It was definitely a spirited discussion and local residents made it very clear how important that having a grocery store in that location is to their lives. Slate indicated a willingness to have a market on the ground floor but would not guarantee that it would be a Key Food. I hope the dialogue between the developer and the community will continue. It's the only way to move Brooklyn smoothly into the future.