Don’t expect any pizza if there is no natural gas

The nearly 500 students at Salanter Akiba Riverdale High School may have to continue to eat sushi at the Kosher Market instead of pizza at their favorite eatery nearby when school returns in two weeks.

That’s because The Pizza Block has been shuttered since April 13 when Con Edison detected a leak and cut the main natural gas line to the entire property. In total, three businesses — including the kosher pizza shop -— at Skyview Shopping Center are still waiting for gas to be restored after nearly five months.

“It’s been a very difficult past few months,” said Elisha Block, owner of Pizza Block and the Riverdale Kosher Market.

On a Wednesday morning two weeks before classes are set to resume across the street, the grocery store was bustling with new deliveries of kosher cuts of beef and chicken, and spicy salmon rolls that will restock an ample cooler next to the check-out line. In lieu of pizza, teens now avail themselves of sushi at the Kosher Market during the lunchtime rush.

“It still hasn’t been addressed. They are working hard at getting this resolved,” Block said. “We hope to have a resolution sooner than later. Riverdale needs its Kosher pizza.”

Over his head hung the New York state Kosher Law Compliance Report and the store’s Kashruth certificate verifying the business is in good standing under the strict supervision of Va’ad HaRabbonim of Riverdale.

“We can’t just buy any meat or any cheese,” said Gabriel Kaplan, who until recently was the manager of Pizza Block.

“There are specific cheeses we provide. There’s a very high level of Kosher standards in a pizza store. We make sure anybody, no matter their level of religiosity, feels comfortable eating there. If we’re closed, it’s not like these people can just go to Addeo’s across the street. It’s not like we’re one of 50 places.”

Braun Management, which operates and leases the two-story shopping center, hired a master plumber about a month into the cut-off to repair piping that extends from the basement to the second floor delivering natural gas to nine commercial tenants located at the property.

“If this happened in the dead of winter, everybody in this strip would have been in trouble,” Block said alluding to the possible lack of heat. Fortunately there were only a few brisk days in April before more seasonable weather set in for the summer.

A city buildings permit issued May 13 stated the repairs would cost $2,000. Building manager Yehuda Feber did not return multiple requests for comment.

ConEd public affairs manager Allen Drury said they’ve been in touch with both Braun and its plumbing contractor since the gas was cut to the entire property in April.

The utility company restored gas to four commercial tenants in the building in June, he said, and three more in July. Pizza Block, Essen Urgent Care Riverdale, and Citibank still have no gas.

“This process is all about safety,” Drury said. “We are waiting for the plumber to complete work, submit a certification from the city’s buildings department and other paperwork. We would then conduct an inspection and testing. They are aware of the repairs that need to be completed in order for us to turn on gas service to the three businesses that remain out of service.”

Abigail Nehring is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.