Greene Hill Food Co-Op May Need a New Home

Pictured: the Greene Hill Food Co-op. Photos by John V. Santore

CLINTON HILL, BROOKLYN — The Greene Hill Food Co-op may be pushed out of its current location at 18 Putnam Ave., as first reported by DNAinfo.

Co-op board president Keith Almon told Patch on Friday that he received a letter on June 29 from the building's owner (the estate of Cecil Collymore) stating that the co-op's lease would be cancelled — not long after the business had signed a five-year lease extension.

Under the lease's terms, the Collymore estate has the right to terminate the lease if the property is being sold, Almon said, adding that the letter didn't provide any details on the (presumed) new owner.

"It's a complete and total shock," Almon said. "You just have to go forward."

Almon said eviction proceedings can't start until Oct. 1. He said he hopes to avoid that by working out a deal with the property's purchaser. In the meantime, the co-op will start looking for a new place to set up shop.

Greene Hill has about 500 active members, Almon said, hailing from Bed-Stuy, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights and Prospect Heights.

Co-op board president Keith Almon in the store on Friday

Bed-Stuy resident Angelica Falcinelli said she's been a co-op member for two years.

"I want the co-op to continue," Falcinelli said. "You know the people who are here. Also, a lot of the stuff is more affordable [than area supermarkets]."

Almon said that if the business has to move, he hopes it can re-open locally.

"We want to stay in the community," he said. "No one wants to make a trek."