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Upper East Side soles souls were crushed to hear the news that Jim's Shoe Repair on 59th Street is literally being pushed out of the space it has leased since 1932, according to Vanishing New York. The new tenant? Its neighbor, Duane Reade, is expanding. The repair shop will officially close its doors in September.
Joe Rocco, the grandson of founder Vito Rocco, said the family business was blindsided by the takeover. "My father went up to ask for an extension," he told the blog. "[Real Estate Firm] S.L. Green told him no. They already made a deal with Walgreens. They didn't even tell us." This acquisition adds 12 feet of street frontage to the 5,500-square foot pharmacy.
Loyal shop-goers have started a petition under an in-store banner that reads "Help Us Preserve the Character of NYC," referring to the burgeoning number of chain shops on nearby Madison Avenue.
"What's happening to the city is horrible," said Joe. "There's no character in the neighborhoods anymore. We're losing the history of the city. These places are like a time capsule. If you lose it all, who's going to remember?"
· Jim's Shoe Repair [VNY]
· All Shoe Week 2013 posts [Racked NY]
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