A 50-year-old butcher shop and Flatbush staple has updated its facade with the help of a hefty grant from the state.
Meat Palace Supreme, on Church Avenue between E. 18th and E. 19th streets, underwent a makeover in December after it was given $86,000 toward the renovation, as part of a state program aimed at preserving and revitalizing business districts.
“It is a nice offer,” said owner Joseph Gualtieri about the grant, which was doled out by the Church Avenue Business Improvement District. “I have no idea when the last time the facade was renovated — but the final outcome speaks for itself. The place looks gorgeous!”
Gualtieri replaced the old yellow sign and black storefront with gold lettering, a beige storefront, and overhead lights, all designed to resemble signage from the 1930s.
“I think the neighborhood must love it because nobody has graffitied it yet,” he said, adding that the successful program would be a good model for other neighborhoods. “If you were able to restore all of Brooklyn, think how beautiful it would look. Brooklyn would be gorgeous!”
The grant came from the state’s “Main Street” program, which provides financial and technical resources to help preserve and revitalize mixed commercial and residential districts, according to the program’s website. The Church Avenue Business Improvement District received $300,000 from the program and is reimbursing businesses for 75 percent of the cost of their projects. In order to qualify for the reimbursement, the renovations have to fit in with the neighborhood’s look.
The BID also gave funds to Downtown Natural, a grocery store on the strip, and is in the process of assigning the remaining $146,000, according to Melissa Skolnick, a spokeswoman for the BID.
Reach reporter Eli Rosenberg at erosenberg@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2531. And follow him at twitter.com/emrosenberg.
