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MISHAWAKA, Ind. (WSBT) — Some small business owners in a Mishawaka shopping center say they’re taking a huge hit.
Some shops are saying the rent increases at the Town and Country Shopping Center are forcing them to close their doors.
A handful of shops along that strip have signs up on their door noting ‘going out of business’ sales or have posted that they’re moving. For some, it’s emotional after years at their location.
They say it’s especially hard to see doors closing at one of the few centers left with so many small businesses.
“That’s my favorite part of working here, that everybody… you learn peoples’ names, you learn peoples’ faces and they walk through just to say hi,” said Kim Morton, Store Manager, Practically Perfect.
Practically Perfect is a resale shop in the Town and Country Shopping Center in Mishawaka.
It won’t be the store’s home come the first of next month, though. Morton says the shop was notified about three months ago that the shopping center had been sold.
In the time since, the store has seen a drastic change in rent.
It doubled for us. It had doubled. So, it made it very hard to do it as a resale joint,” said Morton.
Morton says rent was raised to what she says is market-value but is a big difference from what the store was paying before.
It’s made things so difficult that the store has no choice but to leave or close, displacing the business and its 62 vendors.
“They’re sad. Because this has been a lot of their homes. You know (like) myself… they live here. You know it just… that’s the hardest part,” said Morton.
She says she’s watched her small business neighbors face the same fate in recent weeks and says it’s a shame to see one of the few small business-based plazas have so many of them closing up shop.
Other businesses have taken to social media to share the news of their closings or relocations.
“You know the people that are in here, you know their stories. You meet everybody and when you know that it was their livelihood that was taken away from them… that’s what’s so hard about it,” said Morton.
Practically Perfect is grateful for the support shown by the community, but now, like many others, is forced to make a tough decision.
We’re hoping to find maybe a new home, some kind of a building where we’re able to manage what we do and continue on with what we have… otherwise we will be done,” said Morton.
A leasing agent for the property says the location was not sold but did not contact WSBT 22 back with any other information.
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