May 3, 2019 By Meghan Sackman

Elected leaders and community activists will be rallying next week to prevent the demolition of the Key Food store on 31st Street, which is one of several stores slated to be demolished along the strip to make room for Target.

The rally, to take place at 2:45 p.m. on May 10 outside the 22-15 31st St. grocery store, comes after demolition permits were officially filed last month to make way for the new 47,000 square foot Target.

The stores to be bulldozed are located in a two-story brick building on 31 Street–between 23 Avenue and Ditmars Boulevard–and include Subway, Kapil bodega, a closed nail salon, a shuttered lunch venue, Cohen’s Optical, a law firm, The Rock Health & Fitness Club, and the Astoria Key Food grocery store.

The owner of the Key Food store has been in protracted negotiations to keep the location open.

“We have been trying to negotiate with the owner of the property but at this point they are quite adamant about taking the building down,” said a spokesperson for Man-Dell Foods, the franchise owner of the Key Food store. “We would like to stay there. We have been there for more than 40 years.”

The demolition plans were filed by A&H Acquisitions, the property owner, on April 8. The owner could not be reached for comment.

Council Member Costa Constantinides, who is organizing the rally along with State. Sen. Jessica Ramos, said that the store’s closure would result in the loss of union jobs as well as affordable groceries for residents.

“Dozens of union jobs are at risk if we allow Key Food on 31st Street to get muscled out of the neighborhood, depriving residents of a community staple that provides quality fresh food,” Constantinides said. “Join us on May 10 as we rally to save these jobs and this vital supermarket!”

Members of the New York grocery workers union group “UFCW Local 1500” and Community 1 will also be in attendance.

This #MayDay it’s important we protect good, union jobs like the dozens at #KeyFood on 31st Street, which are in jeopardy. Join me on Friday, May 10 as we rally to save this vital community staple! #InternationalWorkersDay2019 pic.twitter.com/8t5DokE9hh — Costa Constantinides (@Costa4NY) May 1, 2019