The Associated Supermarket on Tillary Street in Downtown shuttered its doors last week — but only temporarily.
On Tuesday, workers ripped out the moldy guts of the store, located within Concord Village at the corner of Jay Street, in anticipation of a new grocer.
Residents will certainly be pleased to hear it; the Associated was not always well liked, but at least it was there. In fact, it was the only supermarket serving the 1,023-unit, five-building complex nestled between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.
“I never go by there — it’s very dirty,” said a resident. “I would go only in an emergency.”
During reconstruction, the Concord Village Board of Directors has arranged for volunteers to buy and deliver groceries to senior and homebound residents.
They might also want to organize a posse. Each Associated is independently owned, and a spokesman at the corporate headquarters said they are still trying to track down the owner.
“We haven’t had an indication from him as to what happened,” said Executive Vice President, Patrick Shiels.
The owner may owe money for unsold products, Shiels said, but he would not elaborate, citing company policy. Community Board 2 District Manager Rob Perris had another theory.
“I think that this is a situation where Concord Village was not pleased with the operator and what brands and selection that operator stocked,” he said.
