Senator Thomas Duane Letter To John Catsimatidis, Chairman And Chief Executive Officer

John Catsimatidis
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Red Apple Group. Inc.
823 11th Avenue
New York, NY, 10019-3557

Dear Mr. Catsimatidis:

It has come to my attention that Red Apple Group's Gristedes store at 355 First Avenue at 20th Street may be slated for closure. This would be a tremendous loss for the thousands of my constituents – particularly at Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvestant Town – for whom it is the primary source of groceries.

I understand that the environment for supermarkets like Gristedes has become more competitive with New York's increasing number of gourmet stores, and the encroachment of national chains and online grocers, but the market at First Avenue and 20th Street continues to play a vital role in the lives of the area's residents.

Many are elderly and are neither accustomed to shopping for groceries online nor capable of walking the long distance to another supermarket or specialty store. Even many younger tenants at Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvestant Town, as well as smaller buildings in the neighborhood, find it more convenient to run over to your store rather than order online since they lack doormen or concierge services to accept those deliveries. Shuttering this vital amenity would have an extremely adverse effect on the entire community.

As the State Senator representing the area, I appeal to you to work with me, other elected officials, community activists and neighborhood residents to preserve this much used and needed market. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Thomas K. Duane
New York State Senate
29th District