Rising rents have already shuttered a lot of the famed music outlets that spanned West forty eighth Street — and which have been frequented by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones.
But now, left with restricted choices, Roberto’s Winds — one of many last close by music outlets within the neighborhood that has stood the check of time for almost 40 years — has been compelled out.
Known as a spot for woodwind devices, repairs and rehearsal area, the store was situated at 149 W. forty sixth St. — till an eviction discover moved them all the way down to thirty ninth Street, in accordance with the Real Deal.
But the proprietor of the music store, Robert Romeo, will not be going out with no combat — submitting a lawsuit in opposition to landlord Montague-Lee Limited Partnership this week, alleging they breached their very own leasing phrases by prematurely terminating the settlement with out warning them months prematurely.
Roberto’s Winds had initially signed a business lease again in 2013, which prolonged via October 2022 with the choice of a five-year extension. But because the pandemic hit, the store suffered like most retail, and it was unable to pay lease from April 2020 till December of that yr.
Roberto’s tried to repay the debt after it acquired $300,000 from New York’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, however the proprietor refused to simply accept the cash, even after benefitting from its personal federal PPP mortgage, authorized paperwork obtained by TRD present.
The music retailer is now requesting $2 million in damages.
“This is a classic example of a landlord using its relatively strong bargaining position to force a tenant out,” an legal professional for the enterprise informed the outlet.
nypost.com
