[Vision2020] Petition

Fri Feb 17 10:04:42 PST 2006

First of all, Hunter's Candy left PM a while ago, not because of the rent 
but because Mr. Hunter wanted to be able to be closed on Sundays and the 
mall management did not like that idea.  If stores are in the mall, they - 
by contract - have to be open whenever the mall is open.  He also says there 
many issues that had been unresolved for years that he simply did not want 
to have to deal with anymore; so when his countract came up for renewal, he 
chose to leave.

Marketplace Gifts left due to a lack of sales; "The last couple of years 
were not good."  Their coroporate offices are in trouble, as are a lot of 
businesses around the country, and the decision to close "the smaller stores 
around the country" was made.  The Spokane stores have closed or are in the 
process of closing, as well.

There are already two/three stores asking about that space.  No decisions 
have been made, but it could be another gift store or a plus-size women's 
clothing store will go in there.

Winco may not be accessable to the bus riders, but only because the bus no 
longer goes through the mall lot - NOT because of anything that Winco 
did/didn't do.

And I just talked to the mall office - the PM is NOT up for sale. "Its just 
a rumor.  No truth to it."  Take that for what its worth.

With very few exceptions, most of the stores in the mall are NOT locally 
owned - they are part of a chain or corporation.

Like I said before, malls go through change all the time.  I remember 
five/six years ago, PM went through this same turn-over routine.  It simply 
happens.

J  :]

>From: Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com>
>To: Bruce and Jean Livingston <jeanlivingston at turbonet.com>,        
>vision2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Petition
>Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 09:05:29 -0800 (PST)
>
>Bruce,
>
>  The reason the Mall is losing stores is because the  owners are trying to 
>sell it. So they are jacking up their rent on  locally owned shops, banning 
>local businesses from contracting with  them and giving longer and cheaper 
>contracts with large corporate chain  stores. This increases the value and 
>appeal of the Mall to the buyer.
>
>   The locally owned businesses, like Marketplace Gifts and Hunter's Candy  
>are not leaving because of lack of sales, they are leaving because the  
>owners raise their rent every month until they find it ridiculously  priced 
>  to stay there. After the Mall removes the locally owned  businesses, it 
>re-contracts the space to chain store, like Ross.
>
>   I am surprised that all these people attacking Wal-Mart and pretending  
>to care about locally owned businesses do not care local businesses are  
>being squeezed out of their territory in favor of big chain  corporations. 
>Win-co is also no longer accessible to those that need  the bus--often 
>those that need the lower grocery prices most.
>
>   Take Care,
>
>   _DJA
>
>Bruce and Jean Livingston <jeanlivingston at turbonet.com> wrote:              
>Assuming arguendo  that what you were "told" has a basis in fact, isn't it 
>just  as likely, more likely, that the reason that the share-owners in a  
>retail-based business (that owns and operates the mall and is all about  
>making money) fear that a Super Wal-Mart may impact their business and  
>make it less profitable, and therefore that it is time to get out now  
>(sell the mall), before vacancies in the mall become greater and the  
>business they are trying to sell goes down further in value?
>
>   Bruce Livingston
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>     From: "Pat Kraut" <pkraut at moscow.com>
>   To: "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>   Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 10:25 PM
>   Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Petition
>
>
>
>| No, I am saying that we don't have a good reputation towards   business 
>and it
>| is spreading...did you know the mall was for sale? I was   told that they 
>had
>| 'read the handwriting on the wall' and I believe it   could very well be 
>true.
>|
>| ----- Original Message -----
>| From:   <joekc at adelphia.net>
>| To: "Pat   Kraut" <pkraut at moscow.com>
>| Cc:   "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>| Sent:   Thursday, February 16, 2006 8:52 PM
>| Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Petition
>|
>|
>| Is the suggestion that businesses are leaving the mall because some   
>folks
>| don't want a Super Wal-Mart in town? I just don't get it.
>|
>|   --
>| Joe Campbell
>|
>| ---- Pat Kraut <pkraut at moscow.com> wrote:
>|
>|   =============
>| Today I needed to buy a red shirt for a granddaughter who   will perform 
>at
>| the jazz festival and has already outgrown her red   Christmas shirt.
>| Gottschalks was the only store in town with anything red   in her size. 
>If had
>| more time I'd be going to Spokane. There are so many   stores in the mall
>| closing that I wonder what it will look like in the   future. Are we 
>going to
>| get a boarded up mall? Do any of you know that the   mall is for sale by 
>its
>| management company? The attitude toward business   here is going to shut 
>us
>| down not save us from anything.
>|
>|
>|   ----- Original Message -----
>| From: "Chasuk" <chasuk at gmail.com>
>| To: "Vision2020"   <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>|   Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 8:24 PM
>| Subject: [Vision2020]   Petition
>|
>|
>| I went into Wal-Mart today, and there was a young lady   sitting at a
>| table soliciting those who entered to sign her petition for a   Wal-Mart
>| Supercenter.  I take this as an indication that Wal-Mart is   feeling
>| the heat.
>|
>|   _____________________________________________________
>| List services   made available by First Step Internet,
>| serving the communities of the   Palouse since   1994.
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>|            mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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>|
>|   _____________________________________________________
>| List services   made available by First Step Internet,
>| serving the communities of the   Palouse since   1994.
>|                 http://www.fsr.net
>|            mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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>|
>|
>|   _____________________________________________________
>| List services   made available by First Step Internet,
>| serving the communities of the   Palouse since 1994.
>|                 http://www.fsr.net
>|          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>|
>|_____________________________________________________
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
>
>
>
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>_____________________________________________________
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

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