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In short ‘Supply’: Downtown’s Court Street Office Supply to close next month

In short ‘Supply’: Downtown’s Court Street Office Supply to close next month
Community News Group / Julianne Cuba

It won’t be a community staple for long.

A Court Street office-supply shop where this newspaper’s reporters once stocked up on their trusty note pads is closing next month.

The family-run Court Street Office Supply opened in America’s Downtown in 1982 and quickly became the go-to place for workers at Borough Hall, the Kings County Supreme Court house, and other nearby government buildings to pick up their pencils, pens, and paper, its owner said.

“There isn’t a businessperson in Brooklyn who doesn’t know our store,” said Jacob Gutman. “Even if they don’t know it by name, everyone knows the office-supply store across the street from Borough Hall or the Municipal Building.”

Gutman, who is closing his brick-and-mortar storefront on Feb. 20, said changing consumer habits prompted his decision to shutter it, not rising rents. And he will continue to run an online shop out of his 11th Street Gowanus warehouse that sells the supplies, toys, and other products customers found at his business for nearly 40 years.

“Our challenge has been the shift in how people purchase things these days,” he said. “Our decision to close the store has nothing to do with rent.”

Moving out of the Court Street location — which was featured in the 2002 Steven Spielberg film “Catch Me If You Can” — will give the family more time to focus on the workspace-design part of its business, according to Gutman, who said he will be slashing prices at the store from Wednesday through its closing day.

“We set up custom workstations and configure spaces for all kinds of offices, medical practices, hospitality companies, you name it,” he said.

Employees of the Downtown institution will miss chatting with their regular patrons, but are grateful that the business is not disappearing entirely, said the widow of Gutman’s late co-owner.

“Not working with our customers face-to-face will be a bit of a let-down, that’s something we all enjoy,” said Miriam Abramowitz. “But this way, it is a happy ending, without an ending.”

Stock up on office supplies while you still can at Court Street Office Supply [44 Court St. between Remsen and Joralemon streets in Downtown, (718) 625-5771, www.courtstreet.net] Closing Feb. 20.

Reach reporter Julianne Cuba at (718) 260–4577 or by e-mail at jcuba@cnglocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @julcuba.