Greenwich Village Residents Upset With Delayed Starbucks Expansion

Petitions have begun circulating amongst residents of New York’s Greenwich Village, urging the city to take action and force the Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) to complete construction on its future Bleecker Street location. The abandoned three-story townhouse proclaims to be a future site of expansion for the coffee chain, but little to no progress on the building has been made for over a year. “This is obscene. In the time it takes for you to read this article, Starbucks probably put up five new stores. I don’t see what’s taking them so long to get this particular location ready,” lamented resident Jonathan Bunkel in a recent town hall meeting. In addition to being an eyesore threatening to lower property values in the area, nearby residents have filed several noise complaints with local officials. “Occasionally you’ll hear what sounds like a gunshot or laser beam at night. I don’t know what’s going on there, but my kids don’t need to be raised near a place like that,” added next-door neighbor Marleen Madison. The purported owner of the resident, Dr. Stephen Strange, was not available for comment. As authorities continue to attempt to contact the owner, the abandoned building serves as a sore spot for many residents of Greenwich Village, including construction worker Donald Mattson who told reporters, “Shoot, I just want my coffee in the morning. I’ll just be glad when this place opens up so I don’t have to walk three blocks to get to the other Starbucks.”