Alex Sakes, the activist president of the Penrose Neighborhood Association, is concerned about the current state of the Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center. The site has been abandoned for many months, except for the CVS store at one corner, which remains open. The several small businesses that had occupied the strip had to move out when the block was slated for development as "The Elliot," which promised a grocery store, six-story 247 unit apartment building, and additional retail establishments. After the anchor grocery store (reputed to be an Amazon Fresh outlet) pulled out, the development has stalled. The area has fallen into disuse, with doors and windows boarded up or shuttered; graffiti, trash, rodents, and litter rampant. Alex and other local advocates are working to be able to keep the blight down, and to re-open at least three of the business spaces until such time as the original plans can be implemented or otherwise updated.
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| Alex Sakes, Penrose Neighborhood Association president |
Photography by Lloyd Wolf.
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