2 days before the final day, Gallery merchants fight to stay

They met after closing time yesterday to talk strategies for trying to remain while half the mall is renovated.

Irma Salter, right, says merchants were told the entire Gallery was closing, but some stores will remain open. She spoke with James Wu, left, after a meeting Monday. (VALERIE RUSS / DAILY NEWS STAFF )Read more

by BY VALERIE RUSS, Daily News Staff Writer <a href="mailto:russv@phillynews.com">russv@phillynews.com</a>, 215-854-5987

Published Feb. 17, 2015, 3:01 a.m. ET

AFTER CLOSING UP their carts for the night, 15 kiosk merchants met at the Gallery last night to talk strategies to avoid having to vacate the Market East mall by tomorrow's deadline.

The group met alongside a pink-and-rose-colored wall advertising a new location for Tiffany's Bakery in March.

"It is unfair," said Nasima Ullah, who with her husband has operated the Midnight Over Madina perfume kiosk for 18 years. "We are small businesses. We earn very little money. That's how we support our families and children."

One food purveyor who had leased space in the mall for 35 years "was told that the Gallery was closing for renovation. Now they're putting Tiffany's in his place," said Rodney King, who runs a bookstore kiosk.

Irma Salter, who has owned the Perfect Foto I kiosk for 23 years and led last night's meeting, said merchants were told that the entire Gallery was closing when they found out their leases were not being renewed just before Christmas.

At first, the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which co-owns the mall, told the kiosk owners that they had to leave by Dec. 31. But the merchants got a reprieve to remain through January, rent-free.

In January, an owner of a jewelry kiosk said the vendors were trying to negotiate with PREIT to at least stay through Valentine's Day so they could make some extra income before being forced out.

They said PREIT then allowed them to stay until tomorrow.

Now they say they want to move to the western end of the Gallery, closer to Burlington Coat Factory and SEPTA's Jefferson Station.

"As long as there's no construction going on here, why shouldn't we stay, too?" asked Mohammed Nasim, owner of Intrigue Jewelers. He has been operating in the Gallery for 17 years.

Salter said she plans to meet with City Councilman Mark Squilla today to see if he can negotiate moving the vendors to the western section of the Gallery, known as Gallery II.

James Wu, who has operated the Personally Yours gift kiosk for 20 years, said the space between the two anchor stores - Burlington and Century 21 - is owned by the city but managed by PREIT.

PREIT officials were not available for comment yesterday.