The J. Crew Displaced Grocer Found a New Location

By: Jul. 31, 2013
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There seems to be a happy ending to the J. Crew vs. Pacific Green grocer drama in Cobble Hill. When J. Crew first announced it's opening of a Brooklyn unit, some rejoiced but others in the borough were not so thrilled at the idea of yet another chain moving in. Locals quickly started a Change.org petition requesting the megaretailer to rethink their location because the longtime grocer, Pacific Green, would have to be displaced to accomadate the store. At the same time, the grocery's owner began the process of suing his landlord, as he had signed a 15-year lease in 2000.

In the fight to save the local grocer, residents went on saying, "Many of the specialty goods that they carry are made in Brooklyn, and most definitely cannot be found across the street at Trader Joe's. Grocers like Pacific Green are an essential part of what makes Cobble Hill a unique community and I hate to see it pushed out by a retailer as ubiquitous as J.Crew. We have slowly watched chain stores and corporate retailers-Trader Joe's, Chipotle, Lululemon, and that new chain organic burger store-move onto Court Street and push out locally owned establishments. At some point we have to ask what it is doing to our neighborhood and its residents. I would hate to walk down Court and not know if I'm in Cobble Hill or Boston's Newbury Street, but at this rate there will be very little difference."

But alls well that ends well - fellow Court Street food shop Mastellone's Italian Deli will close tomorrow, and Pacific Green will move in. Of his closure, owner Vincent Mastellone said, "The guy over on Pacific was losing his lease, so now he's going to move over here. Life keeps turning. A few people are going to miss us, yes, but what can you do? That's life. Things change and this guy needed a new place."


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