The landlord of the building occupied by Kitimat’s SuperValu wants to clear the air that he’s not seeking an excessive increase to the rent.
Dick Leung contacted the Sentinel saying that despite rumours flying that he is seeking at 300 per cent increase in rent, that’s not the case at all.
“It is simply not true,” said Leung in an e-mail. “We will accept any fair market rent determine by a professional appraiser.
He said the sticking point to the negotiation has been that Loblaws only wants a nine month extension of the current lease, but Leung said he wants a long-term lease.
Loblaws’ Executive Vice President Gordon Chem, said through an e-mail that the company does want to continue operating their Kitimat store and the company is waiting for a response regarding a lease extension.
“The company and the staff at our Supervalu store have been proud to serve the residents of Kitimat. We hope to continue serving them in the future,” he added.”
Last week it was revealed that negotiations regarding the SuperValu location lease had hit an impasse and it is currently expected the store will close mid-June when the current lease expires.
The closure would affect 35 staff and three managers.
