Save Our Supermarket

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To: Borough President Stringer, Council Member Mendez, State Senator Conner, State Senator Duane, Assembly Member Glick, Assembly Member Kavanagh



In a joint statement with Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, N.Y.U. President John Sexton committed the university to support community sustainability, including the preservation of local retail businesses. An associate vice president for planning was quoted as promising eclectic uses for N.Y.U.s ground-floor properties not all banks and pharmacies.

Yet, we are distressed to learn that the Met Foodmarket at 107-111 Second Ave. will be forced to close if its owners are unable to negotiate a satisfactory renewal of their lease with N.Y.U.

Met Food is the only supermarket in our area, serving shoppers from Third Ave. to First Ave., from 11th St. to Houston St. Its loss would be a severe blow to our community, especially the less mobile and the elderly, such as residents of the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged building at Fifth St. and the Bowery. Many homebound shoppers are dependent on the stores delivery service.

Met Food is not an absentee operation but a very hands-on, family business, the kind that is fast disappearing from our neighborhood. The owners of Met Food assure us that they will:

1. Continue to serve the community that Met Food has serviced the past 21 years,
2. Formulate a current applied supermarket rate with NYU that will maintain Met Food at its current location,
3. Continue to contribute to the community in its efforts in maintaining affordable foods and rents,
4. Support the community in all functions,
5. Continue assisting the elderly, who desperately need Met Food as its primary source of purchases for food,
6. Grow with the community over the next generation with diverse and fresh food,
7. Assist in maintaining small businesses that are important in our community,
8. Employ the best and most conscientious persons, who best serve our community,
9. Renovate and repair old fixtures, with a longer lease than the five years that are being offered,
10.Continue to serve over the next generation, in this neighborhood that w love so much.

We urge to N.Y.U. to factor in these important community concerns in negotiations to extend Met Foods lease. Doing so would gain the university well-deserved praise from area residents. Forcing Met Food out would only give ammunition to those who charge that N.Y.U. is determined to turn the East Village into one big college campus.

We respectfully request that you urge NYU to negotiate a fair longterm lease with Met Foods, and SAVE OUR SUPERMARKET.