Most of the tenants say they’ve never met the new owner of the plaza and that it is difficult to reach the property manager as well. Many leases are set to expire soon.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
With last week’s announcement that Pavilions will be replacing Cooke’s Family Market early next year at Point Dume Plaza, one rumor was finally confirmed about the mall. But many still remain about the facility where most of the tenants have no idea if their expiring leases will be renewed, and where a mysterious new landlord has almost no communication with them.
“They [management] don’t talk to us,” said one tenant who asked not to be identified. “All they tell us is not to believe any of the rumors.”
Last year, the plaza was purchased for $24 million by Zan Marquis, a man who almost none of the tenants have ever met. Most who were interviewed for this story said getting in communication with Marquis was next to impossible, and trying to get a hold of property manager, Linda Kight, was equally difficult. Several telephone messages were left by The Malibu Times for Kight, but they were not returned.
With most of the tenants either on month-to-month leases or on leases that expire soon, few know about their future at the plaza. The Dume Room, a bar that has been at its plaza location for 35 years, has a lease that expires at the end of the month.
“They have given us no indication whether or not it will be renewed,” said co-owner Mario Vitale, the only person interviewed who said he could be quoted with his name, although he would not say anything beyond that statement.
Several tenants interviewed said they believed other tenants were going to be leaving the plaza. But when those who were said to be leaving were interviewed, they denied that it was so, with many saying they did not know about their future because their leases were expiring soon and they had heard nothing from property management about whether they would be renewed.
The only confirmation The Malibu Times could get on a tenant who was leaving was Malibu Gymnastics, which is moving to a location down Pacific Coast Highway near PC Greens in September.
There is a rumor that Marquis plans to radically transform the plaza into a boutique mall and rename it Point Dume Village. That cannot be confirmed, but there is a large sign that says “Point Dume Village” at the corner of the mall. The sign says people should inquire about leasing information and provides Kight’s office phone number. Nobody interviewed said they knew when that sign was put up, with many saying they had not noticed it.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, construction continues in Malibu Country Mart on the Ralph Lauren store that is replacing the florist shop, Cosentino’s Country Mart on Cross Creek Road. Michael Koss, whose realty company owns Malibu Country Mart, said exterior work on the Ralph Lauren store has been completed, so further work on the interior is in the hands of Ralph Lauren. He said he did not know when that would be finished.
The spaces at Country Mart formerly occupied by Under G’s Lingerie and Leather Waves are being combined into one to make room for a family-owned store called Canvass, which will sell shoes and art. Koss said the interior of that facility is also being constructed by the tenant, and he does not know when it will be completed.
At the adjacent Cross Creek Plaza, Fast Frame earlier this month became the first store to reopen after the April 2005 electrical fire that destroyed many businesses. Storeowner Chris Cavette said he has been pleased with the response so far.
“My customers have been returning slowly but surely,” Cavette said. “But people are really coming around, and people are stopping by to say ‘Hi,’ and that they have saved our work for us. We are nowhere near where our business was before the fire, but we’re coming along.”
Bay Cities Beauty Supply appears like it is ready to open. Store officials said it would be ready for business next month. The owners of Casa Escobar placed an advertisement in The Malibu Times last week to hire employees. Several calls were made to the owners’ home, but were not returned.
It is unknown when the New Malibu Theater will open. John Hunter, CEO of Hollywood theaters, which owns the facility, said this week he had nothing new to report. Hunter said the plan is still to rebuild the theater with wider, leather seats, and to install upgraded acoustics. He said when the theater reopens, it will have a Hollywood premiere. He declined to specify anything further.