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BROOKLYN WEEKLY, DEC. 23, 2018
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BY COLIN MIXSON
They want to know what’s in
store!
Park Slopers are scratching
their heads after months of silence
from the developer that last
year fi led plans to replace the
Fifth Avenue Key Food with a
two-building, mixed-use complex
that will contain a similarly inexpensive
grocery store.
Bigwigs at builder Avery Hall
in October 2017 submitted plans
for its two-tower project, which
includes a 73-foot-tall structure
at the corner of Baltic Street, a
smaller 44-unit building near
Sterling Place atop what is now
Key Food’s parking lot, and a public
courtyard between the two.
And now, some locals — including
those community members
who got Avery Hall to agree
to include an affordable grocer
in exchange for demolishing the
current supermarket — are wondering
when construction will
begin and Key Food’s days at the
site will end.
“We were expecting a groundbreaking
in 2018,” said Ayana
Muhammad, a local real-estate
broker who served on the group
that negotiated with Avery Hall
after it purchased the development
site in 2015 . “They had done
preliminary ground testing and
stuff, but after that, there was
nothing. So, we’re in the dark as
to what’s going on.”
The residents aren’t the only
ones clamoring for construction
updates — Key Food staffers are
also still anxiously awaiting to
hear when their meal tickets will
be up, according to a manager of
the Fifth Avenue outpost.
“We have never been given a
closing date,” said the manager,
who refused to provide her name.
“We’re kind of waiting for information
from the person who
bought the property.”
But Avery Hall honchos expect
to break ground “soon,” according
to company spokeswoman
Maya Kremen, who said the fi rm
is still obtaining all necessary
permits from the city, and could
not provide a more specifi c date
when construction will begin.
“We intend to commence construction
as soon as is practical
after we get approvals,” Kremen
said.
The deal the developer struck
with the locals to win their support
for its project requires the
complex include a grocery store
run by operators on a pre-approved
list that excludes pricier
brands such as Eataly and Whole
Foods.
And in exchange, community
members gave their okay
for Avery Hall to build a complex
slightly higher than the lot’s zoning
regulations allow. The two
buildings will include some 164
apartments between them — 41 of
which will be below-market-rate
— and must still be signed off on
by the city.
It’s unclear exactly what additional
permits the developer
is waiting on, after offi cials in
September approved a round of
key applications that included
new-building, plumbing, and excavation
permits, according to
records, which do not show any
approved permits for demolition
work at the site.
Avery Hall reps are contractually
required to provide updates
to the community group it previously
negotiated with, including
advance notice of demolition and
construction work, according to
Kremen, who said the developer
will continue to keep locals informed.
“We have been in communication
with the coordinator for the
group to advise him on the progress,”
she said.
On market watch
Park Slopers ponder Fifth Ave. Key Food’s fate after
months pass with no signs of site’s redevelopment
KEY DETAIL: Community members are wondering when their beloved inexpensive
grocer will close following months of silence from Avery Hall after it fi led its
redevelopment scheme with the city last October. File photo by Louise Wateridge