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Empire Kosher to Be Closed and Replaced by Condos?

CrownHeights.info has learned that a request has been put forth by the owner of the property housing the Empire Kosher Supermarket for a zoning variance that will allow for the structure to be torn down and replaced by residential units.

The owner of the property, 529 Empire Realty Corporation, is requesting an amendment to the zoning map that will change the property’s designation from commercial to residential, and allow for the construction of housing units up to eight stories high.

The request is one of the items on the agenda for the next monthly meeting of Community Board 9, which will take place next Tuesday.

New York City Community Boards are composed of local residents who vote on a wide range of issues that may have an impact on the community, such as applications for liquor licenses, car services, zoning variances and other such matters.

Community Board 9, which encompasses the southern half of Crown Heights, is headed by Col. Jacob Goldstein and district manager Pearl Miles. The board meets every fourth Tuesday of the month at Middle School 61, located at 400 Empire Blvd. The meetings are open to the public.

Back when Empire Kosher’s ‘sister’ supermarket, The Marketplace, opened its doors, rumors were swirling that Empire Kosher was facing imminent closure.

At the time, a CrownHeights.info reporter asked the owner of both supermarkets, Itzik Benabou, to comment on the matter.

Mr. Benabou took out his phone and showed the reporter a text message sent to him by the owner of the building, assuring him that the building would not be torn down.

However, with the latest revelations, it seems the owner may indeed have other plans in store for the property.

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47 Comments

  • Please NO!

    Please don’t take away Empire Kosher from its present location!!! It is so convenient to travel to and to walk to. Please! Leave it where it is!!!

    Thank you.

    • K

      How will INCREASING the supply of residential homes bring UP the prices? There isn’t enough properties on the market for the growing number of buyers – this will provide a supply to the buyers!

  • 45 yr in the hood,

    However, with the latest revelations, it seems the owner may indeed have other plans in store for the property.

    ” the owner is a liar “

  • Very much needed!!

    There is already a shortage of housing in our area, by the time this gets built in 2-4 years, the situation will be more desperate then it is now!

  • levi

    i believe the purpose of this, is to add value the property.
    once the land is approved for housing its value will increase. that simple !

  • Across the street

    I read the post on the poles , the location is across the street Lamont ct etc.
    please correct me

  • CHLEAKS.COM

    Great, just great, just what we need another building.

    Attention fellow Jews, heed my words, this project will not be for Jewish people!

    I hope this doesn’t get approved.

    • Answer

      It will be for white yuppie goyim who are moving into all the decent buildings here including the building corner President & Albany) AND 580 Crown.

      If you don’t want that (& yes, I caught 8 floors high!!) go to the meeting & vote it down.

  • Yitzchok and Esther Michael

    I think it empire kosher should remain open for all customers who enjoy shopping there. It should remain open!

  • spread out

    Builing condos have to stop… can’t anyone see parking is only getting harder in c.h.?!?!? Spread out and buy past Lincoln or maple.. busses come for schools, there are shuls & groceries get delivered… stop over populating areas that are so claustrophobic already!!!

  • Aron

    If they build condos i bet they will be geared to yuppies and will priced out of range for the regular ch’er

  • resident

    If indeed it will turn into a residential project, then WE MUST GET TOGETHER ACOMMITTE TO MAKE SURE IT BENEFITS OUR OWN PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING . WHO IS READY TO GET TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THIS HAPPENS??? IT IS UP TO US!. YOUNG PEOPLE OF CROWN HEIGHTS, ITS UP TO US TO MAKE THE CHANGE INSTEAD OF THIS BENEFIITING GOYIM. IT IS NEXT TO SHULS AND SCHOOLS

  • "Gam Zu La Tova" (Yirmi)

    With Marketplace still close by this will lead to much more foot traffic towards southern end of crown heights. That may lead to a safer and more attractive southern section of crown heights which may make properties on Maple, Midwood, Rutland, and FURTHER more safe, desirable and realistic for many who otherwise can’t afford Crown Heights proper.

  • טובת הכלל או טובת הפרט

    If the current structure is torn down and replaced by an 8 story building, the primary beneficiary would be the property owner.

    Several housing units will be created, benefitting possibly up to 50 people/families (though not likely to be any of ours, as it is more profitable to build for Yuppies).

    Additionally, loss of a supermarket, is loss of important communal infrastructure. Slowly, Brooklyn is becoming more like Manhattan. Gas stations are being shut down and replaced with condo buildings, making gas stations more scarce and eventually leading to higher prices.

    While housing is very important, it has to be done the right way, thinking about the overall community.

    We should do anything in our power to oppose the variance.

    • K

      It is silly to compare food stores to gas stations: If you need gas for your car – what is the BIG deal to drive 4-5 blocks?! Do you need (or even want) a gas station at your corner?!

      Most residential neighbourhoods do not have supermarkets on their block (usually there might be a small grocery store but not a MAJOR brand name supermarket e.g. Shop Rite),

      However, residential areas do need residential units!

  • Avraham Yosef Follick

    If you read through the application you will see that the proposed new building will include a ground floor Supermarket about twice the size of Empire Kosher. It doesn’t say who will run this new supermarket or if it will be kosher, but why not?

    It will get rid of the current small parking lot but will include a basement parking garage with 66 parking spots. I don’t see a problem here.

    • Reading comprehension

      If you read the application you will see that it mentions 80 dwelling units at 2.63 residents per unit – hardly anything suitable for our community.

      As for the 66 parking spaces, those are intended for the residents.

      So you get a larger supermarket (supposedly accommodating more shoppers) with NO dedicated parking spaces.

      Oh, and with the type of dwelling units being built, you are likely to get 80 households who are NOT Kosher consumers.

      Bottom line is, someone needs to talk to Mr Doueck and convince him that there are things that are more important than how much profit he can make off this property. Keeping the property in line with the needs of the Jewish community, could mean a lot more than a few millions he would make with the proposed development.

      I am not saying don’t develop. But do it with the benefit of the community in mind.

    • parking

      the parking in the basement will probably be for residents (and guests) of the building not the store considering that a developer has to provide X amt of parking

  • bored

    oy oy oy my cottage cheese if i need to go to the market place by the time i get back home it will be spoiled

  • SELFISH

    The selfish builder will have to answer to Hashem for wrecking the shchunah by bringing in more and more goyim all for money that he will absolutely not be able to take with him when he has to go up to give a din vecheshbon. But it is up to the people of Crown Heights to stop it. If we really care we should show up at the board meeting where it will be voted on and voice our PROTEST LOUD AND CLEAR!!!! For the record, Empire Kosher is comparably priced to the holy kolel store in Boro park but the service and caring is worlds better here! E.K. created competition so that the other local stores had to keep their prices at least semi normal, and still gave us a chance to take advantage of their excellent prices and service.
    Another block of ridiculous matchbox sized condo’s will not do ANYTHING GOOD for the neighborhood. THOSE THAT CARE SHOULD SHOW THEIR FACES AND PROTEST L O U D AND C L E A R..
    Just as an aside, I don’t know how much chesed or tzedakah this Doueck (property owner) gives, but you can ask any shliach who will tell you how much and how consistently Benhabou helps them out with their shlichus. this is not mentioning private individuals of our shchuna that he quietly helps out, never asking, nor wanting a thank you nor recognition. (This then may be his true reason for success)

    • The Last American

      The hypocrisy here is astounding. It is “Selfish” for a man to do what he wants with property he owns, but somehow selfless for you to demand he do what you want with his property? When did Crown Heights become so socialist?

  • Oh, be quiet!

    Don’t tell someone else what to do with their money/property or how to give charity (i.e., to you or your cause). Yes; I consider all this mention of “community,” a charity; your charity. The owner does not owe anyone anything. His job is to provide for his family as best as he can and can decide how he wants to give charity. Telling him to take a loss, or generate less income, because you feel its right is ignorant, at best. For all you know, he is going to take all the money he makes and give it straight to “his” charity. This is capitalism; you win some, you lose some.

  • Citizen Berel

    These are the most disturbing articles on the Jewish websites.

    Fellow Citizens, there is no human solution for our economic difficulties. World has gone through material ups and downs and we are at a soft point.

    We used to know not only believe that there is a master of the world who decrees parnoso and desires those who serve him.

    Now we talk about flippers and communists and capitalists and one percent and 99 percent and gentrification and living wages and obama obama osama bush.

    You demand that this empire kosher building man be some modern day Moses Montefiore and that will save save save the situation and home prices in Crown Heights will again be 2 to 3 times a melamed’s yearly salary like they were 40 years ago. Get a life.

    The only thing that’s as affordable as ever is service of G-d.

    We need to do Teshuva.

  • מיצר שהחזיקו בו רבי אסור לקלקלו

    Perhaps there is a halacha that it is forbidden to remove a service of the public for the benefit of a individual.

    • K

      If many people use YOUR front poach as a “rest room” would YOU say that YOU cannot stop them because ” it is forbidden to remove a service of the public for the benefit of a individual.”

      And as far as dictating to the owner to do what is good for the community, how about starting with each one of YOU – lower the rent you charge tenants, sell your house for reasonable prices, and store owners lower the prices of all goods to wholesale cost. T

      hen give away all your bank savings to people who are in need.

      After YOU show the way of being selfless and putting the community BEFORE your own interests, THEN you can think of asking the owner to consider the community – not before!

      Until that time, you are just being selfish while asking him to be selfless.

  • The Last American

    It is disgusting that our community has become so populist even De Blasio would feel uncomfortable. This is America, people have the right to do with their property what they wish! If we demand that property owners do only what “the community” wants no one will be a property owner. No one will invest money in this community. Housing shortages will increase, quality of life will decrease.

    And why is it a problem if “yuppies” move into our neighborhood? The are will become cleaner, safer, and more prosperous. Aside from that its is morally wrong to discriminate. Imagine if yuppies would publicly say that they don’t want Jews to move to Park Slope? We would rightfully be outraged.

    Crown Heights needs to remember what makes this country great, and it starts and ends with freedom. This includes freedom of religion, which we enjoy, and also freedom to do with ones property what one wishes. Anything different is socialism.

  • 580 Crown

    To #22: 580 Crown is a Jewish building.
    What are you talking about when you claim there are white goyim?

  • Ploni

    I just saw this. What happened? Was it approved or denied? Or did he change his plans to benefit the shechuna? Of course nobody can tell him what to do, but the Rebbe advocated pro-shechuna and not doing anything detrimental to it. Bringing in more non-Jews does not have a positive effect on our youth.