It looks like there's trouble in Gilbertown.
Angelina Italian Bistro, a restaurant in downtown Detroit, has filed a lawsuit against a Dan Gilbert owned company to prevent being evicted for not paying up.
Angelina has sat on the ground floor of 1565 Broadway on the south end of Grand Circus Park since 2008. Gilbert purchased the building in 2011, revamping the upper floors into the hip startup and tech hub now known as the Madison Building.
According to the Free Press, Angelina owner Tom Agosta claims that although the monthly rent of $6,648 a month has stayed the same, the building's common area maintenance fees jumped from $800 to $4,117 a month since 2008.
Agosta is not pleased.
“They made up a number and said ‘You have to pay this,’ ” Agosta, 59, an east side Detroiter, said in an interview Thursday. “They’re a big corporation, they’re very cocky and they want everyone to sort of kowtow.”
Gilbertville is not pleased with that.
Bedrock Real Estate Services issued a statement Thursday saying the company was disappointed Agosta chose to air tenant/landlord dialogue with news media.
“Not only do we charge market or below market lease rates, but we make every effort to promote our tenants’ businesses by marketing their products and services in numerous ways,” the statement said. “We have a strong interest in the success of our commercial tenants and go above and beyond to help support their operations.”
