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<br /> <br /> STAFF REPORT <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Mayor Keis and Members of City Council <br /> <br />FROM: Joel Hanson, City Administrator <br /> <br />DATE: February 19, 2016 <br /> <br />RE: Retroactive Approval of Relocation – Little Canada Smoke Shop <br /> <br />On February 12, 2014, as part of the remodeling of Thunder Bay Plaza, the property owner <br />requested that the Hookah Hideout be allowed to relocate to a space within the Round Lake <br />Plaza. This move was done to accommodate space for a new bar/restaurant concept within the <br />shopping center. City staff has copied the resolution below by the City Council to approve the <br />relocation. <br /> <br />RESOLUTION NO. 2014-2-31 – APPROVING THE RELOCATION OF THE <br />HOOKAH HIDEOUT WITHIN THE LITTLE CANADA ROAD SHOPPING <br />CENTERS AS REQUESTED BY DAVID NELSON TO THE NEW SPACE THAT <br />WAS DESIGNATED BY THE BUILDING OWNER <br /> <br />At that time, no mention was made by the property owner that this renovation would impact the <br />location of the Smoke Shop within the shopping center. However, city staff has since learned <br />that the Smoke Shop was also relocated by the property owners from 37 Little Canada Road E to <br />27 Little Canada Road E. Mr. DeRosa, owner of the Smoke Shop, has indicated that he <br />previously leased 1,008 square feet of space and his new location is only 888 square feet. No <br />other changes have been made to how his business is conducted. A letter from the property <br />manager, John Miles, was received on February 2, 2016, stating that the Smoke Shop was moved <br />to make room for the bar/restaurant proposal. <br /> <br />The City Council discussed this at their February 10, 2016 meeting, and at that time, David <br />Nelson, the owner of the Hookah Hideout, stated that the Smoke Shop did not move because of <br />the proposed bar/restaurant, and that their space was not needed for the VooDoo Live proposal. <br />The City Attorney recommended that city staff research the plans for the bar/restaurant to see <br />how much of the building was being used before the Council made a decision. <br /> <br />City staff talked to John Miles, the property manager, and reviewed the plans that were <br />submitted to the city for the VooDoo Live bar/restaurant concept. Mr. Miles stated that initially <br />the restaurant was only going to use part of the building - the east end up to the current Donut <br />Hut space. The Donut Hut wasn’t as easy and inexpensive as other businesses to move because <br />of the kitchen facilities in that space. The Smoke Shop space was originally at 37 Little Canada <br />Road E, which is on the east side of the Donut Hut, so they, along with the Hookah Hideout, <br />tanning salon and Labor Ready were all moved to spaces either on the west end of the Thunder <br />Bay Plaza or at Round Lake Plaza. Mr. Miles stated that all of the leases for the moved <br />businesses began on July 1, 2014, and some of them were already in their new spaces in June.