Elected Officials & Community Leaders Celebrate The Grand Opening Of Key Food’s Windsor Farms Market

After about three years of advocacy from community members and local elected officials — including former Borough President Marty Markowitz, Councilman Brad Lander and Assemblyman Jim Brennan — the Windsor Farms Market (589 Prospect Avenue, by 11th Avenue) held its grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday evening as neighbors applauded the opening of a store they say is sorely needed in the community.

Markowitz, Brennan and Lander joined numerous other community leaders and residents, including individuals representing Green Beans Not Walgreens and the Windsor Terrace Alliance, for Monday’s festivities — which marked the end to a years-long battle for neighbors who had been fighting for a grocery store to open after the Windsor Terrace Key Food unexpectedly closed in 2012.

Neighbors were outraged by the closure, particularly when the property owner signed a lease with Walgreens, prompting community members to push for the Walgreens to make room for a much-needed grocery store. Originally, the company gave them the thumbs down, but, after a massive push by neighbors and area elected officials, including the collection of more than 5,000 signature to boycott Walgreens, the national chain agreed to share the building with a Key Food.

All of that work was celebrated Monday with free samples of spicy sausage, ice cream, drinks and more arranged by the store’s owner, Joe Zariyah.

During the festivities, the Windsor Terrace Alliance’s Lauren Elvers Collins introduced all of the speakers, including Markowitz, who praised the years of hard work by elected officials and residents — as well as the willingness of Walgreens to give up part of their floor space for the supermarket.

Lander, who came prepared with a bag of fresh green beans to distribute to the Green Beans Not Walgreens folk, too congratulated the neighborhood leaders who pushed for the store. Community leader Ryan Lynch thanked everyone for their dedication.

Have you been to the new Windsor Farms Market? What did you think?

Windsor Farms Market is open 7am-10pm, seven days a week. For more information, you can visit its Facebook page or call 718-788-0323.

All photos by Phyllis Sears and Paul Weinstein.