See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Colin Mixson
Brooklyn Daily
Life is returning to Hurricane Sandy-slammed Emmons Avenue.
Three weeks after the super storm cut all power going into the landmarked Lundy Brothers building, the Cherry Hill Market — the building’s main tenant — has opened its doors to flocks of foodies perusing the restocked shelves.
“Not everybody knows we’re open, but word’s getting around,” said Cherry Hill manager Uzi Mizrahi. “There’s customers coming in and out.”
Hurricane Sandy killed all power going into the historic building, which was built in 1934, and flooded the ground floor and basement when it blew through Brooklyn on Oct. 29.
Con Edison workers repaired power lines in Sheepshead Bay more than a week ago, but the market had to be completely rewired before the utility would flip the switch that would turn on the lights and refrigerators.
“The entire block had to be rewired,” said Mizrahi. “There’s a few people without electricity, but we had to do what we had to do.”
Getting electricity marked the end of a long rehab for the Cherry Hill Market, Mizrahi says. Many of the building’s original stained-glass windows were damaged in the storm and nearly all of the store’s appliances required extensive maintenance, if not a complete overhaul, before shelves could be restocked.
“We lost five dumpsters of food,” said Mizrahi. “We had to buy some deep fryers, a lot of things needed new motors. There were a lot of expenses. It was like a bad dream, but we’re over it, and now everybody’s smiling.”
Reach reporter Colin MIxson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.