Common Council Member Challenges Reason for Closing Broadway Market Save-A-Lot

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo City Councilman Mitch Nowakowski joined News 4 Tuesday afternoon to talk about the impending closure of a Fillmore District grocery store.

Next week, Broadway Market could lose its Save-A-Lot, the historic shopping destination’s only full-service grocer, if a solution to keep it open isn’t found.

According to Nowakowski, Save-A-Lot did not properly notify the city of Buffalo, its owner, of its plans to close, other than a piece of paper with a message written in marker.

“My constituents deserve better than this,” Nowakowski said.

The councilman disputed the alleged reason for the store’s closure – alleged thefts. He also says Save-A-Lot hasn’t told the city what it needs to continue doing business.

“There was no looting at Broadway Market that caused this operator to leave. It’s just categorically false and it’s lying about the neighborhood,” Nowakowski said, referring to a Buffalo News article about plans to close the store.

If the store eventually closes, Nowakowski is determined to find another grocer in that location. In the meantime, there are other stores, such as a nearby Aldi, to serve residents, he said.

Watch the full News 4 interview in the video above.