Residents wondering what’s happening beyond the doors of Lundy’s landmark building on Emmons Avenue will get an insider’s view of the place on March 3 when the Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic Association holds its next meeting there. “This is a great opportunity for our community to finally separate truth from fiction,” SBPB Civic Association corresponding secretary Barbara Berardelli said. “There’s been a lot of arguing between Cherry Hill and preservationists. Our association wants to get to the truth about the situation surrounding Lundy’s so we all can move forward and make an informed opinion about what is happening in our neighborhood.”
The creators of the Cherry Hill Gourmet Restaurant and Market say they’ll be ready to debut their new establishment on site of the Lundy’s landmark building in just a few short weeks – despite criticism from some who say that aspects of the market do not belong in the Sheepshead Bay special district.
The Department of Buildings lifted a stop-work order on the premises just last week and Cherry Hill representatives say they will remove the tile sidewalk that the Landmarks Preservation Commission found to be in violation. The outside of the building will also be fully restored, they say.
Last week, Cherry Hill project manager Anthony Kelley addressed residents during the public portion of Community Board 15’s January meeting at Kingsborough Community College in an effort to win neighborhood support. Afterwards, he described the reaction from many present as overwhelmingly supportive.
“I don’t care what he does, but it’s got to be done within the law,” Scavo said. “It’s not a personal thing — it’s the law.”
According to Kelley, the restaurant and market will seat roughly 300 people across three floors and an outdoor dining area that will wrap around the building.
But it is the market aspect of Cherry Hill’s operations that has critics crying foul.
A bank of large refrigerator units will be located on the first floor of the building, and according to Kelley, Cherry Hill will sell alcohol, as well as cold and hot takeout food.
To critics like Scavo, that all sounds an awful lot like a supermarket.
“She’s wrong,” Kelley said. “We have all our permits. This will be the jewel of Emmons Avenue.”
While he may have found some receptive ears at Community Board 15, Kelley had no such luck when he recently visited Senator Carl Kruger’s office in hopes of speaking to the state senator but was instead shown the front door.
“Everyone’s been misinformed,” Kelley said. “We will be part of the Sheepshead Bay special district.”
