Times Ledger: Willets Point business owners sign lease to move to the Bronx

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Photo by Christina Santucci

From the Times Ledger:

By Alex Robinson

The Sunrise Co-op signed a lease Friday on a 84,000-square-foot space in Hunts Point, at 1080 Leggett Ave.

Many of the group’s members have been without properties to conduct their business since the end of January when they accepted deals worth six months’ rent from the city to vacate their businesses. Some accepted payments worth 12 months’ rent to leave the Iron Triangle by the end of November.

Dozens of auto repair shops and junk yards that have populated the area for decades have been pushed out to make room for the first phase of a $3 billion redevelopment of the blighted area into a new neighborhood with a megamall.

Many of the business owners have been out on the street fixing cars, trying to make a living, as they wait to move into the new location, said Marco Neira, one of the group’s organizers.

“They’re on the streets trying to survive. Everybody has a family so they have to create an income,” he said. “With this, we can have the hope and in two or three months we can start doing business again.”

The group’s organizers have been closing in on signing a lease on the property for a couple months after negotiations with the landlord to fix the facility’s bathrooms slowed down the process.

The Sunrise Co-op will, however, have to wait a little longer before its members can start moving in.

Read the full story: http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2014/11/sunrisecoop_web_2014_03_10_q.html

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Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.