STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — To Kimmy and Jacquie and the dozens of other visitors who carry on to achieve out to the Advance to inquire, “Are there any updates on Asian Foodstuff Market opening on Staten Island?” The answer is October, predicts Stuart Waldman, the grocer’s landlord who is producing the Roman Blum browsing center for the store’s new dwelling.
Refrigeration and shelving is put in at the shortly-coming Asian Foods (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)
Asian Meals is formerly of Travis. It shut in December 2018 and management concurrently announced its go to Mariners Harbor in this new elaborate underway at Forest Avenue amongst South and Northfield Avenues.
A perspective of the searching advanced from Asian Foods, also soon residence to a Taco Bell, Burger King, Popeye’s and Teriyaki One Hibachi and Steakhouse (Staten Island Progress/Pamela Silvestri)
There are a handful of dining establishments underway close to Asian Food items. Waldman states Burger King and its travel-through will commence serving foods in the up coming handful of months. Shortly thereafter, a Popeye’s will open, followed by a Taco Bell.
Popeye’s will be the very first to open up in the Blum Plaza. (Staten Island Progress/Pamela Silvestri)
WHO WAS ROMAN BLUM?
The Roman Blum Plaza is aspect of a sprawling tract of land at 2343 Forest Avenue which claims six properties and 86,250-sq.-feet. It is named for Roman Blum, a Holocaust survivor and genuine estate developer who had no heirs. The estate was valued at $40 million. The Annadale resident died at 97 in 2012. Land ultimately was distributed as a result of the general public administrator’s office.
In late March 2021, an e mail to the Advance from a girl who identified herself as Teresa Musial from Poland wrote to convey her praise for Waldman in his determination to name the plaza right after Blum, calling it “a extremely great and genuine gesture.”
Roman Blum, a Holocaust survivor from Poland who lived in Annadale and amassed his prosperity as a true estate developer, died in 2012 at the age of 97.
In accordance to the newspaper’s documents, Musial was the caretaker of Helena Pietrucha, the latter who, lawyers contended, was Blum’s lover for the duration of Environment War II and the pair were being separated in Poland all through the Holocaust. Pietrucha died in 1999. Prior Progress articles or blog posts have chronicled, “Musial was Pietrucha’s caregiver and confidante for around 20 many years, and the sole beneficiary of Ms. Pietrucha’s estate, lawyers claim.”
The 2021 e mail from Musial claimed, “I thank Mr. Waldman and his organization with great regard and appreciation for honoring the late Roman.”
She also observed, “Please also express on my behalf to Mr. Waldman and his company wishes for fruitful get the job done, and joy in this organization. May possibly the Lord God choose treatment of him.” Musial expressed her gratitude that “that at the very least just one person” will continue to keep his memory.
Waldman acknowledged the correspondence and informed the Progress, “I just did it out of regard for him. I got to fulfill the person as soon as prior to.”
Waldman said, “My loved ones was Hungarian and my loved ones was in the exact concentration camps as Roman. I believed it would be a nice gesture. I assumed no heir, no kids…I thought it was it a nice thing to do.”
He appreciated Musial’s “lovely” gesture by achieving out and reported, “I feel he would have preferred a searching plaza there. It is just a way he can are living on. If God allows me a minimal little bit, oversees it, we can have a grand opening celebration quickly.”
Waldman also said of the Blum elaborate: “It will bring a more beneficial outlook to Mariners Harbor. It will established a far better tone for the region. And Roman will be wanting down on the neighborhood.”
Pamela Silvestri is Progress Food stuff Editor. She can be arrived at at [email protected].