CLEVELAND — At the New Eastside Market on Monday, it was just another weekday.
"It's business as usual," said general manager Derrick Cunningham, and he plans to do the same thing tomorrow, which is slated to be the market's last day.
"I'm operating as usual, we'll be open, we'll be here until somebody tells me different," he said.
Cunningham found out late last week that the city would not be renewing its lease with the market. The land and the building are owned by the City of Cleveland, and the market itself is operated by Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services or NEON. The market has been constantly plagued by financial issues, and its former developer was convicted of embezzling nearly $900,000.
The mayor's office did not give a specific reason for the decision to close the market, but councilman Kevin Conwell told News 5 on Friday, "With the county, they're behind $209,000 on their property taxes, they're behind with their utility costs, paying the city utilities in thousands of dollars."
News 5 reached out again to NEON but did not hear back. Cunningham said he's been told by his superiors that those matters are being sorted and payment plans set up.
"I can assure you that we're addressing all of the concerns that the city ... brought to our attention about it," he said. "We're doing what we need to do to keep this place open."
In the meantime, since our story aired Friday, he said the store has collected around 300 signatures on petitions they plan to present Monday night to council.
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"And all of this happened in like 48 hours," Cunningham said, holding the pile of papers. "People really need the store, and we need them, so I'm just here to fight for my store and my neighborhood."
The shock is still setting in with many customers like Toni Hall, who recently started using the service the market provides three days a week, where they pick up nearby seniors, especially those like herself who use a wheelchair, and give them transportation to the market.
"By me being in the chair, it's hard to get out and go, just you know, to the store," said Hall. "When they came to the building and said that this is what they was going to do? I was on it."
And when she learned what was happening, and the market was being shut down, "I said, 'Oh no, they can't do this to me, I just got started."
A reaction that echoed through this East Side community in the days since.
"I'm pissed, I'm thoroughly pissed," said Francine Hauser. "Do you know what it's like when you have to get out in bad weather, and you don't live that far, and you don't have a car. A grocery store, the only grocery store in the neighborhood. Why would he do that?"
On Friday, a spokesperson for Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said in a statement:
"The administration remains committed to ensuring every resident has access to quality, affordable food in their neighborhood. While the closure of the East Side Market is unfortunate, it also presents an opportunity to reimagine how we deliver food access in this community.
In the coming weeks after gathering feedback from members of Cleveland City Council, the city will issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to identify a new partner to continue serving the residents in this area. In addition, we are actively working with impacted employees to connect them with resources and employment opportunities.
We look forward to working closely with Councilman Conwell toward a solution that best serves the community."
