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New money for the West Side Market, same old issues for tenants moving out

A long-standing vendor at the West Side Market has left due to unresolved issues that the city is now saying will be fixed.

CLEVELAND — It’s an issue we’ve seen before: A tenant in Cleveland and the West Side Market choosing to close their business over issues with management.    

This time, it was Truczyk’s Meats.

“I've been there for so many years and I've heard the same line over and over and over again,” Michael Truczyk said. “I haven't seen any real improvements.”

After 36 years doing business in the market, it only took minutes for the former business owner to explain why he was closing his shop.

“The city of Cleveland has failed to keep the place afloat,” Truczyk said. “They couldn't fix any of my electrical problems... they had drain problems, I would have to stand in water while I was cutting with my saw.”

“To work under those kinds of dangerous conditions, I could lose my life.”

It was a list of ongoing issues that he said drove him out in October, leaving behind the people he loved and who loved him.

“The most thing I'm gonna miss are not only the other vendors who are family to me because we all grew up together, but the customers who watched me grow up down there,” Truczyk said.

It’s why when he took his decision to Facebook, it not only got the attention of his loyal following but the city of Cleveland.

In a statement posted below, the city laid out the past five years that have been filled with improvements and renovations to the historic building.

In addition, the city revealed they completed an “extensive capital assessment” and will be awarding a $5.5 million design contract for improvements like lighting, electrical upgrades and more.

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