Stuy Town Grocery Pushed Out By Target And MTA, Owner Says

STUYVESANT TOWN, NY — After 26 years in the neighborhood, Associated Supermarket will close its Stuyvesant Town location, according to the the supermarket's co-owner.

Co-owner Joe Falzon said Associated lost half its business since a nearby Target opened up and 12-foot fencing was erected on the block for the MTA's construction work to add a new L train entrance at Avenue A.

"We just can't keep up with the expenses anymore," said Falzon, who has worked with Associated for more than three decades.

Once another East Village Trader Joe's opens, he anticipated revenue would plummet even more for the market, located at East 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The minimum wage was also recently upped to $15 an hour, which rounds out to about $31,200 a year before taxes for a full-time worker, but Falzon contended: "We have a lot of employees so it adds up."

"Everything has been ticking away at us," Falzon said.

Seventy-three employees will be laid off for the closure, expected by early December, a Department of Labor notice says.

The landlord of the property, Blackstone, which owns the massive residential complex Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper, helped pay the market's rent to keep its doors open until the end of November, Falzon said. Aisles will be stocked until then.

President of Stuy Town's tenants association Susan Steinberg told Crain's New York Business, "Associated was known for bending over backward for seniors," adding it was "not a happy occasion" for residents.

The market plans to continue taking delivery orders for dedicated Associated shoppers, Falzon said.

Associated, which in 2015 garnered thousands of signatures in support of the store calling for Blackstone to renew the lease after purchasing the property, has another location on Avenue C and East Eighth Street, with a few dozen citywide.

"We share the community's disappointment that after 26 years, Associated has decided to close its doors. We have worked with the owners in an effort to accommodate their needs, including offering them free rent, and will continue to offer support to help keep the store open through the holiday season," the head of Stuy Town Rick Hayduk said in statement.

Hayduk said Stuy Town is looking for a new tenant, noting "having a local grocery store is important to our tenants."