Tuna King Rejuvenates Gotham Fish Market As "Sushi Paradise"

From the second issue of The Gotham Times:

Just two years ago, Gotham's historic Fish Market by Gotham Bay was scheduled for destruction. The wharf - once the center of the regional fish business - was emptying out as crime, age, and declining sales took its toll. But that was before "Tuna King" Patric O'Hannahan worked his maritime magic. Today the Gotham Fish Market is thriving, as young couples, families, and tourists crowd into the district for fresh sushi and seaside nightlife. "We brought this area back from the dead," said O'Hannahan from the bustling corner newsstand and coffee shop where he holds court every morning. "The city had even taken the fish market off its list of designated landmarks so it could be razed to put up condos. But now, look around! It's a whole new fish market!" he continued. Signs of the area's revitizations are clear. Sales tax figures from the city show that retail sales in the fish market have doubled in just two years. Over 23 restaurants now crowd the suddenly-hip district, including 13 sushi bars. And one of Gotham's toniest restaurants - the posh eatery RAW - has brought the A-List crowd to a neighborhood they previously would never have thought to visit. O'Hannahan imported experienced sushi chefs from Japan when he started his revitalization project, and the sushi restaurants they ran quickly achieved "must-eat" status for the city's foodies. One world-renowned food guide dubbed the area "Sushi Paradise" in its Gotham issue last year. And this month, the first art gallery opened in an area more well known for gutting trout than hanging abstract paintings. In the middle of a smoke break by the crowded docks, fishmonger Cilio Amarian considers the recent changes. "The fish still smells the same, but the crowd smells a lot better," he said as his hands, weathered by years of sun, salt, sea, and flounder, gripped his Lucky Strike unfiltereds. "It's more upscale now." Indeed, the changes have been striking. Fishermen in the area recall a dilapidated region of rotting wood piers, shacks of ice and fish, and garbage piled up on every corner. Everybody has a story on how bad the "bad old days" were. Tony Sacamanda wrapped up three sea bass and he reminisced. "There were some days when our only customers were people headed somewhere else but got lost," Sacamanda said. But on a recent visit to the Fish Market, it was obvious to onlookers that times had changed. A gleaming new building has replaced one entire block of shacks, stands, and slap-dash parking lots. The ubiquitous fish slime on the concrete floors has disappeared, replaced with with a cobblestone look. Wood shavings carpet the cobblestone like snow, thanks to a marketing campaign that determined that customers like its look and smell. Inside, sushi restaurants, upscale oyster bars, and fashionable shops bring a steady stream of families, kids, and tourists throughout the day. Nobody's talking about shuttering the fish market today. But the old hands who have toiled in the market for decades aren't all happy about the new changes. Fishmoney Sal Florentino, unloading clawing crustraceans into an icefield box, said, "The new building is all shiny, but you can't see the sunride from inside. What's the use of being a fisherman if you can't see the sunrise? Photo Caption: Business at Tony Sacamanda's fish shack has tripled since the redevelopment.