Body rub business bumps up against baby needs store
Residents and business owners around a Ritchie neighbourhood strip mall are eager to see a baby shop move in despite objections a neighbouring body-rub business might suffer.
The strip mall on the corner of 76th Avenue and 96th Street has had trouble hanging on to tenants over the years, and the baby shop would be a welcome addition to the neighbourhood, community members said Wednesday.
“My concern is that the mall is vacant and dilapidated,” said Bill Elgert, president of the community league in Hazeldean, the neighbourhood just south of the strip mall.
“I would love to see the baby shop move in. I do not think that has anything to do with the men’s day spa at all. It’s different clientele and different times (of day) ... In my mind, they’re both legitimate businesses and they should be able to coexist side by side.”
The Two Mothers baby store planned to open Friday, selling cloth diapers, breastfeeding products and other baby items at 9553 76th Ave., a few doors down from a body-rub business now called Radiance Spa, at 9547 76th Ave. However, the Two Mothers business licence is on hold after the owner of the strip mall unit where the body-rub business is located filed an appeal with the city.
The appeal from Patricia Thomson expresses concern the baby store could put her body-rub tenant out of business because the city doesn’t want adults-only shops so close to companies that cater to children.
People in the Hazeldean and Ritchie neighbourhoods, however, are keen to build a vibrant local business community. Infill housing is going up rapidly in the area and many young families are moving in, so a baby shop is a good fit, Ritchie community league vice-president Dallas Bartel said.
“It would be a great, positive thing for the area to have some sort of retail outlet there,” Bartel said. “There’s a lot of good potential there. It’s unfortunate that this kind of speed bump happened.”
The situation has sparked much discussion in the community, Bartel said. Some have expressed interest in attending the city subdivision and development appeal board hearing, scheduled for Nov. 28.
“I wish them the best,” he said of the baby shop. “I hope it goes in their favour.”
Neighbourhood residents said the body-rub business keeps a low profile and has been in the building for years, operating under several different names.
City records show it has a licensed to operate as Asian Shiatsu.
A new sign was posted outside the entrance recently, advertising as Spa Radiance.
The owner of Acme Meat Market, in business since 1921 and at the Ritchie strip mall since 1986, said only a few businesses are operating now in the mall of individually owned units.
“It would be nice to have some decent, reputable businesses moving into the strip mall to complement and help out this mall, because it’s pretty hurting right now,” Corey Meyer said.