4 Photos
While most of East Hampton’s luxury boutiques and overpriced designer stores prepare to open their doors for the long-awaited Memorial Day season kickoff, one of the town’s last mom-n’-pop shops may be forced to close its doors come May.
The Springs General Store, a long-time staple of the hamlet, is owned and run by Springs resident Kristi Hood, who lives above the store with her family on Old Stone Highway. But the building itself is owned by Michael and Jan Collins, also of Springs, who do not wish to renew Ms. Hood’s lease because they are trying to sell the property.
“My lease is up at the end of May, and [the owners are] not interested in renegotiating,” Ms. Hood said by phone, adding that there wasn’t a personal dispute between herself and the Collinses, but that they just want to sell the property. Ms. Collins declined to comment on plans to sell the store, referring questions to her husband, who did not return calls.
Ms. Hood said that buying the store herself wasn’t an option. “I can’t afford what they’re offering for the building, unfortunately,” she said, “so I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do.”
The building is listed through Saunder’s Associates for $1.995 million, a price, Ms. Hood said, that was just “not affordable when you work in this particular kind of business.”
“With that kind of number, whatever moves in here would have to generate a lot of money to pay the mortgage,” Ms. Hood added. “Particularly for this neighborhood.”
Ms. Hood bought the business in 2003 from Sharon McCobb, another East Hampton resident, and said the ownership experience has been “nothing but a pleasure.”
“It’s been wonderful how many people have come and told me how important this place is,” said Ms. Hood. “We’ve been so fortunate that we have this wonderful porch where we host a Sunday afternoon hangout where people come and play music, and people can be social with the weekenders and the people that live here year-round. It’s a nice melting pot.”
The building, built in 1844, is zoned as a neighborhood business, according to the East Hampton Town Planning Board member Joe Potter, who also plays music at the general store.
“It’s in the Springs historical district so that would protect the facade of the building,” he said by phone on Tuesday. “But it wouldn’t limit the expansion toward the back.”
Mr. Potter said a business like Ralph Lauren or another boutique could come in and take up shop in the building, but something like a small restaurant or bar may not be permitted.
“I’d love to see East Hampton Town participate in protecting the building using CPF,” he said. “It’s come up in conversation, but I’m not sure if there’s been any progress on it.”
And while the end is tentatively looming, Ms. Hood is cautiously optimistic.
“I’m definitely exploring other options,” she said of finding a new location for the business. “It’s hard though; there’s such limited commercial space. I’m trying to enjoy every day from now until the end of the lease. And after that, I guess we’ll just have to see.”
on Jan 6, 2015