Flatbush redevelopment plans force longtime local businesses to close
Flatbush businesses forced to close
A wave of business closures is hitting Flatbush, Brooklyn, as longtime shop owners say they are being pushed out due to redevelopment plans. FOX 5's Meredith Gorman has the story.
BROOKLYN - Residents in Flatbush are raising concerns about changes coming to the neighborhood after several local businesses were forced to shut down.
Local perspective:
No one is saying exactly why an entire block of businesses in the section of Brooklyn shut down, but business owners in the community that spoke with FOX 5 NY said they were getting pushed out.
It's leaving local businesses with no choice but to shut their doors, even after decades for some, like one bodega owner, whose store on the corner of Clarkson and Bedford avenues has been in the family for over 40 years.
On the block alone, eight stores were being forced to shut down because of what residents say is the landlord's redevelopment plans.
Dig deeper:
Some of the businesses have already closed, while others are being forced to vacate, like Cups and Books – a bookstore café that has been open for four years before the landlord told them they had to leave the space. Now, the owners are forced to sell off their remaining inventory and close shop.
Longtime staple Mike's Pizza is another spot being forced to close its doors, and neighbors say they are sad to lose their beloved pizza spot.
What we don't know:
FOX 5 NY tried to get a hold of the landlord to see what the plan was for the empty storefronts once the final remaining businesses closed, but were unable to get in touch with anyone.