Citarella Is Evicted From Its Harlem Store

clipped from cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com By Jennifer 8. Lee Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times Citarella, which opened its market in Harlem in 2005, failed to do renovations that were part of a 2001 sale contract, the city said. The city is evicting Citarella, the upscale fish and food retailer, from its Harlem market and reclaiming the 125th Street-area properties because Citarella failed to complete renovations that were part of a 2001 sale contract. The eviction notice, which comes after a multiyear legal battle between Citarella and the city, became final last week under a ruling in State Supreme Court by Justice Karen S. Smith. Under the order, Citarella — which also has stores in the West Village, the Hamptons and the Upper West Side — has 90 days to vacate the premises, which consist of a retail location at 461 West 125th Street and other industrial properties at 426-458 West 126th Street. Citarella loses all claim to its renovations that it has already done.