Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Monday, December 27, 1999

Release #511-99

Contact: Sunny Mindel/Curt Ritter 212/788-2958
Janel Patterson 212/312-3523 (EDC)


MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES SALE OF FORMER TAYSTEE BAKERY SITE TO CITARELLA

Gourmet Food Company To Develop New Corporate Headquarters In West Harlem

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani announced today that Citarella Operating LLC will purchase the former Taystee Bakery site located at 126th Street, between Amsterdam and Morningside Avenues in West Harlem. The 40,800 square-foot site consists of six buildings with a total of 134,000 square-feet of space. Citarella plans to renovate the buildings and establish a new corporate headquarters, food preparation areas for specialty bakery, pasta and salad items, a training facility and expansion of its warehouse and storage facilities. The company will also open a 5,000-square-foot retail store at the site.

"Citarella is a quintessential New York success story," said Mayor Giuliani. "The company has grown from a small seafood store on Manhattan's Upper West Side into a leading gourmet food emporium. Companies like Citarella, which provide New Yorkers with jobs and bring revenues into the City's neighborhoods, in addition to delivering high-quality products and services should be commended. Citarella's presence in Harlem will no doubt attract additional private investment to this revitalized neighborhood and I congratulate them on their decision."

In addition to 30 construction jobs, the new facilities will create approximately 150 permanent jobs. The development site is located within the New York Empowerment Zone, making it eligible for certain tax incentives such as an employer wage credit, property tax deductions and tax-exempt bond financing. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2000 and be completed in the fall.

The New York City Economic Development (EDC) selected Citarella, on behalf of the City, to purchase and develop the City-owned property from a number of proposals submitted in response to a Request for Proposals. In making its decision, EDC considered a number of criteria, including relationship to the surrounding community, development team qualification, financial feasibility and projected schedule for completion of the project.

"We are thrilled at the opportunity to bring our brand of specialty food retailing to Harlem," said Joe Gurrera, owner of Citarella. "With our signature seafood and fresh meats, along with our array of prepared foods, we hope to make a real contribution to the uptown shopper. The 126th Street site is far superior to anything we've had to date for our food and pastry operations. It will provide us the solid base we need to support our growth, and we're looking forward to becoming an anchor employer for the community."

"I congratulate Joseph Gurrera and Citarella for recognizing Harlem's potential by establishing, not only a great new retail store, but the company's headquarters as well," said EDC President Michael Carey. "Today the Mayor's efforts to revitalize Harlem are clearly paying off as Citarella joins Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, The Body Shop and other first-rate national retailers in Harlem."

Established in 1928, Citarella now employs 275 workers and operates two retail stores on the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The Citarella stores offer an extensive collection of prepared foods, fresh produce, a superior selection of seafood items and prime meat products. The company recently announced plans to open a seafood-oriented restaurant and adjacent take-out store this spring at Rockefeller Center in the townhouse that was formerly home to Hurley's restaurant and bar.

EDC is the City's primary vehicle for economic development services. Using its real estate and financial resources, EDC helps develop businesses and create jobs throughout the five boroughs. EDC is also responsible for the sale and leasing of City-owned land for economic development.

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