Shopping center closes in Davidson, leaving tenants in the lurch
Sadler Square | Photo: Mecklenburg records
Nov. 4. By Donna Randazzo. Tenants in the Sadler Square shopping center in Davidson have closed their doors, some permanently, while others are moving to new locations.
Tenants include Our Town Cinemas Cafe and Taphouse, The Egg at Davidson, BK Custom Cleaners, Davidson Nail Spa, International Kitchen and Bath and The Beach Tanning and Beauty Spa.
They were told to close their doors and have everything out in 30 days, effective Oct. 31.
Piedmont Capital Real Estate, new owners of Sadler Square as of February, could not be reached for comment. They paid $6.1 million for the property.
Sadler Square is just west of the Davidson College campus
Unhappy tenants
“Communication is virtually nonexistent. They won’t meet in person, it’s like pulling teeth to get someone to respond,” stated Hope Sams, owner of The Beach Tanning and Beauty Spa.
After receiving the initial lease termination letter in late September, Sams and other tenants asked to set up meetings. They tried calling, emailing and sending certified letters from their attorneys, but got no response.
“I received what the new rent amount would be, but no real lease agreement. The only other thing we’ve received was an email stating all units needed to be cleared out before they put fencing up around the property,” stated Sams.
—The Egg at Davidson owners Robert and Eileen McCrary, who also own The Crazy Pig at 402 South Main St., are combining the two restaurants.
Robert McCrary
—After close to 30 years in business, BK Custom Cleaners is closing for good. Piedmont is not allowing the business to reopen with their cleaning equipment, which was an integral part of their business. Indeed, the revolving garment rack was built by owner Ben Son.
—Our Town Cinemas owners originally planned to reopen after renovations and expand from four to six screens, but that seems out of the question with rent more than doubling.
Quotable
“We’re doing what we can to get out of here, but some things we can’t move,” said Brian Tarle, owner of International Kitchen and Bath. “We’re taking whatever we can get out of here on short notice.”
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This is when as a community we stand together with our local business owners. Please include the address of the new buyer so we can all write a letter letting them know how displeased we are with their rough handling of our neighbors’ businesses. Furthermore, since it seems they are trying to force them out with rent increases, make it known that we as a community will not support whatever they plan to build in there. It may be “only business”, but it’s not they type of business we should support.
So disgusted by Piedmont investment for doing this to these great tenants….old town cinema isn’t replaceable, just can’t understand how our mayor allowed the cinema to close?? It’s a staple in our community that made us special and people came from other towns to enjoy the cinema draft house for many years… all these small business owners were the heartbeat of this town… not sure why our mayor changed his stance on protecting small business interests and siding with this investment group but it’s a sign of things to come… large businesses are going to take over very shortly.
You do realize that Piedmont paid $6.1 million for the property in a private real estate transaction. The Town of Davidson has zero control over what happens transactionally between the new owner and the tenants who rent space from them. I am as unhappy as everyone else. We patronized the theater, the egg and the cleaners for decades. What ever happens to this property is a private real estate issue, not a Town of Davidson issue.
It’s a valid and fair point Mayor, and anyone who knows me and my role in community advocacy here knows I operate on facts and objectivity, not hearsay so I’m not engaged in these matters firsthand or speaking directly to this. Those of us who live directly in downtown Westside have valued and supported these businesses for years, while also looking forward to some evolution and positive growth of this key commercial site.
However, I think the unspoken part of that equation is that whether it’s public/municipal or private/commercial business or real estate transactions in a community (particularly one as small and connected as Davidson), you’ll go much farther being an engaged and communicative neighbor here. In fact, the erratic history of business in Sadler Square, particularly the main space, could largely be attributed to exactly that… disconnect on potential mutual opportunities and best interests between the community, the property owner and the town. Especially if one is in retail and disregarding of your community and potential customers… that may be your prerogative, but that doesn’t mean it’s right – or the bright thing to do.
One would think everyone in this town would be smart enough to have learned that lesson well after 2017 and what people of all types came together as a community to say, and do, to “Save Davidson” and remind everyone here “your words and actions have consequences, and when push comes to shove, there are smart, educated and engaged citizens in this community who will hold you accountable.”
I’m A Cornelius resident but have enjoyed the theatre, restaurant, and the small food store for more than 20 years. It seems boycotting any new businesses that pop up might be the only alternative at this stage. My condolences to those being forced out. Please let us know where they land, and I’ll definitely make an effort to support them.
My children and I have enjoyed countless movies at Our Town, got pedicures, picked up dry cleaning since we moved to Davidson in 2003. The movie theatre in particular is such a special and convenient entertainment option, that’s walkable for students and residents. I
’m sure Davidson and surrounding area residents sentiments about the unprofessional and unfair way the new owner treated these long term tenants means nothing. But, this is still a small town and word travels fast and these actions won’t soon be forgotten and sours any enthusiasm we might otherwise have had for the new development and its future tenants. I’m sure there was a better and more professional way to handle this.
These are real people with real lilies and obligations. While it won’t be the new tenants fault , I for one, won’t be visiting that complex anytime soon. I simply don’t want to support a company that handles its business with such disregard and disrespect.
This is unbelievable! How can this possibly be legal especially without some form of communication?
I’m so sorry to see this happening to all of you business owners. I, certainly, pray the Town of Davidson is very diligent about what they allow to be built there as it is probably going to be torn down. So sad!
How can it be legal, really? It’s called a real estate transaction and the law is pretty clear that the transaction is between two parties, that being buyer and seller. Really a simple concept that has been around longer than America has been a country.
Pretty cut throat way to treat small business owners with long standing ties to the community.
We love Our Town Cinema. Hope they find a home!
This is truly an incredibly disrespectful way to treat tenants who have undoubtedly poured a lot of money into the spaces that they have been leasing for so long. How hard is it to at a minimum communicate with these tenants and then give them the notice and time they need to transition to new spaces. This is completely unacceptable.
Our Town Cinema is our favorite theatre.😢
One has to ask why these tenants were given such short notice & why the new owners refuse to give any answers!!
All these new developers are ruining our little town of Davidson for nothing but greed!!
Loved all the businesses in that little shopping center & its
convenience for those of us that live close by, not to mention
all the college students!!!
In case anyone is interested, this is a link to their Contact Us page:
https://www.piedmontcapitalre.com/#about
Ironically, their tagline is “Relationship-driven, knowledge-based real estate investments”…
I guess the relationship part only applies to their investors.
Ask this guy.. https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-hodges-1a3462181