UTICA, N.Y -- Shoppers at the Save-A-Lot store on Oneida Street in Utica were turned away after the building was deemed unsafe by the city.

The building was shut down by the fire marshal on Saturday after the rain started pouring through the ceiling of the building. 

Store supervisor John Hart told NEWSChannel 2 that he's been trying to get the property owner to fix the roof, but he said they refused.

Many of the shoppers arrived in the parking lot on Tuesday, surprised that the store suddenly closed, but Elizabeth Meeks of Utica said that she saw this coming.

"Well I mean it's totally expected, its been falling apart for ages. We're a little sad though, because its the only place we can walk to. When the food is defrosting and is at unsafe temperatures, ultimately what we have here is someone who let their greed get in the way of the safety of the community," said Meeks.

NEWSChannel 2 did receive a statement from the company about the Oneida Street store.

"We apologize for the inconvenience to our Utica customers. This store is operated by one of our independent store owners, who are fully aware of the situation and are actively working with the property landlord to address the maintenance issue. We hope to have the store open again soon."

According to the Utica Fire Department, the building cannot be reopened until the roof is repaired and the building passes inspection.