Opa-locka Hialeah Flea Market Vendors: 'We have to leave like dogs'
MIAMI - The Opa-locka Hialeah Flea Market will be a thing of the past come the end of June, and that has some vendors upset as they were just given notice last week.
"There was not Walmart, Target, the flea market was the only thing the island people could come and shop and take the merchandise back home," Leo Alba, Beauty Man owner said.
For 40 years, it stood, as a staple for the local community, then this past Friday a warning was issue to vendors, many were caught off guard. "The owner that bought this place promised us 10 years that he would help us," Alba told a crowd of vendors.
Now, they will all have to be out by the end of June.
"My kids are going to lose out here a lot of people's kids are going to lose out here, I know from this a lot of elderly women are going to lose their home," Alba said.
The flea market currently has about 500 vendors, one can find almost anything there, from pets, shoes, fabric, electronics, food, and even dentistry.
"All they're asking is to give us more time to find another place, this is not packing your suitcase and going on an airplane this is a business to move," Mike Hassouneh, Mike's Cell owner said.
CBS4 checked in at the management office, but no one was there, a sign on the door warned tenants that their license agreement expires June 20.
"They should have given each vendor at least $5,000 and tell them listen try to find you a place here's $5,000 of compensation thank you for supporting us for 40 something years, no they're just threatening us that they're going to throw the merchandise away and we have to leave like dogs," Alba added.
CBS4 also reached out to the owners, but have yet to hear back.
Meanwhile, vendors hope someone will hear them out and give them some more time.
