On the counter at PG’s in Scotia Square (5251 Duke Street, 429-8806) are multiple copies of a complaint letter for customers to take and send to Craig Smith, the senior leasing manager at Crombie REIT, the Stellarton-based property management company that controls Scotia Square leases. The owners of PG’s, Eva and George Sayde, are hoping the letter will help their cause. They say they’re being evicted, effective the end of November, and they don’t want to go. They’re getting no love from the landlord on this.
“They [Crombie REIT] don’t want to talk to us,” says George. “The reason is Tim Horton’s, they want the spot.” It’s been reported that the Tim Horton’s concession, close to the entrance of the mall, needs to move because of renovations to that area, and has been offered the PG’s location, despite the fact PG’s has been a rent-paying tenant for 21 years. “The small businesses, they don’t care about us,” says George.
George Sayde indicates there may be a possibility of the business reopening elsewhere in Halifax. “Yes, maybe in the city,” he says. “But they say there is no other space here.”
Craig Smith couldn’t speak to the press on the matter, and regional vice-president Pat Martin didn’t return The Coast’s call.
This article appears in Nov 17-23, 2011.
Eviction my ass.
Lease must be expiring and they don’t have a right to renewal. I wish people would give media the full account of the issue.
All I can do is promise I will never go to any shop in that food court again. Seeing as I often work in the Metro centre. THat will mean I have to go to a bar or down to Pizza Corner to get food.
But instead of boycotting the new coffee shop theeerree…boycott all of them.
I promise to do that as well.
21 years in the same spot and getting no help form the landlord. It’s shameful.
This is the face of small independent business. that thing that we’re always saying we need in Halifax this is what it looks like and look how these folks are being treated.
Ms. More, I understand your POV but it’s hard; that area of the mall is filled with great independent owner run businesses that I’m sure are getting hosed severely in rents and treated awful, just like these people have been treated. If we just don’t go there we’re hurting all those businesses not the mall owners.
Mr. Blow, why so hard ass? It an independent small business and we should be doing ANYTHING we can do to keep it happily ensconced for another 21 years in our community.