Mayor Responds to Questions About the Closing of DeCicco's in Scarsdale

(Updated 11/9 at 3:20 PM)

This letter was written by Alison Rose:

Dear Mayor Arest,

There is an opportunity for you to serve Scarsdale creatively.

As you may know, DeCicco's in Scarsdale is going to be closing its doors next Friday, November 15. It is the only grocery store in Scarsdale where there are many elderly people who do need it and who may or may not be able to drive. There are also apartment dwellers on Garth Road who I see walk to DeCiccos regularly.

The landlord, Rush Wilson, has been approached by the Scarsdale DeCicco family trying to negotiate the large size of the rent, to no avail. Mr. Wilson is local, with an office at 14 Harwood Court.

There is another DeCicco family who have a large number of stores throughout Westchester, and I spoke to one of its Eastchester managers about this opportunity in Scarsdale. Perhaps you could bring the different parties, Rush Wilson and DeCicco Eastchester, together to try to reinstate a fundamental need of the Village - a grocery store.

There are times when serving the absolute needs of the people should inspire some generosity, or at least flexibility, on the part of the landlord. The rents in Scarsdale should not be so excessive that stores close a few years after they open, which commonly happens. Scarsdale should aspire to be a caring community.

Sincerely yours,

Alison Rose
Walbrooke Road

Mayor Justin Arest responded:

Good afternoon, Ms. Rose.

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your thoughts. I deeply appreciate your recognition of the vital role that the diverse offerings in our Village Center play in enriching the lives of our residents.

I want to assure you that I have been in regular communication with Mr. Wilson and his grandsons. They are diligently working toward a long-term solution that will benefit our community, and the Village remains committed to supporting our merchant community.

While I’m unable to share specific details at this time, I am optimistic that Scarsdale Improvement Corp. will have positive updates to share in the coming days.

Thank you again for your engagement and concern for our Village.

Best,

Justin

Justin Arest
Mayor

Editor's note: Calls to Scarsdale Improvement Corp., who owns the property, were not returned.