Opponents of Walmart’s big move to the city plan to apply pressure to Gateway II shopping center developer the Related Companies this week in an effort to persuade the company to find a different tenant for its 650,000-square-foot site in East New York, according to Crain’s. Related has been in talks to lease the site to Walmart, and has already received the City Council’s go-ahead to do so.
But while opponents — including unions, small business owners and City Councill members — have thus far been unsuccessful in convincing the discount giant to steer clear of Brooklyn, they believe they have a better bargaining chip when it comes to Related, in part because the company is said to be angling for a contract to redevelop Willets Point.
Three politicians from the Willets Point area will send a letter to Related CEO Stephen Ross this week asking him to kill the Walmart deal at Gateway II, and at every other potential location in the city. Although Ross has said he won’t back down, up to 20 more council members are expected to sign similar letters, and demonstrations are being planned for outside Related board members’ homes and the company’s Time Warner Center headquarters.
“The Walmarts of the world may think they can ignore us, but the Relateds of the world can’t,” said state Sen. Diane Savino, of Staten Island. “These are guys who want to develop in other places in the city. They could find that their relationship with Walmart may permanently damage their relationship with the city.” [Crain’s]
