The imminent closure of Park Lane Mall — which many locals fondly remember as a once-bustling center housing retail and dining giants like Weinstock’s, Sears, the Black Angus and Woolworth — has forced tenants to look elsewhere. About 30 retailers either will relocate or close shop altogether once it closes Jan. 31.

Ruth Contreras, who owns Guys ’N Dolls Boot Sales and Footwear Repair Center in Park Lane, has a second retail outlet in Meadowood Mall; but at 600 square feet, it is a much smaller space. At Park Lane, the store occupies 3,100 square feet.

“It’s very dead right now,” says Contreras about traffic though the mall. She says she’s looking at the possibility of buying a piece of “affordable” commercial property for a second location so her next business won’t be sold out from under her. That would involve seeking funding from a bank.

Another company looking at the purchase option is Slot Car Warehouse. Owner Marc Malone says his eventual goal is to buy a place, but not at the size of the current operation.

At least a handful of retailers from Park Lane, including La Milagrosa, Automotive Accessories and Games Galore, among others, already have moved nearby to South Wells Avenue, Kietzke Lane or South Virginia Street, according to Park Lane’s owner, M&H Realty.

Watching the Park Lane situation with great interest is the developer of the Plumgate Center, Dennis Banks Construction.

“Most of those tenants, if they were doing well, will find another spot probably in the general vicinity,” observes Dennis Banks. Indeed, a number of businesses in the mall already have inquired about leasing space at Plumgate, he says.

Plum location

Spanning six acres on the southeast corner of West Plumb Lane and South Arlington Avenue, Plumgate houses a tenant mix that features retailers, boutiques, professionals and the ubiquitous Starbucks. Tenants include dentists, attorneys, doctors, an advertising firm, insurance company, bakery, florist, salon, cleaners, and clothing outlets, furniture, pet nutrition and accessories and jewelry stores.

“I consider (Plumgate) to be its own little community with a little bit of everything you could use,” Banks says.

The center houses a variety of retail along with professional services. Four of Plumgate’s seven buildings are dedicated to professional offices, including the only two-story structure. The remainder boasts retailers.

“We really wanted retail, but we had to be careful not to overdo it because of the demographics and location,” Banks says. “It’s not on a main thoroughfare that could handle more retail. It looks like the mix came out real well because we’re staying pretty full.”

Except for one unit coming available, the center is completely leased.

Park Lane tenants may be finding similar pictures elsewhere, according to Mark Keyzers, vice president of retail properties for Alliance Commercial.

Low vacancy an issue

“There is some decent availability of retail space, but we do have a fairly low vacancy rate (in Reno-Sparks),” he says. “It depends on a variety of factors, including where the tenant is looking to relocate to.”

Keyzers has worked with Time Square and DJ Comics, both Park Lane tenants that are relocating to the Airport Square (site of Costco on Plumb Lane). Another perennial Reno favorite, the Tinder Box, is moving farther south to the Redfield Promenade.

The transition has been difficult for some Park Lane tenants, he notes.

“Let’s just say their rent is going up considerably,” he says. “Many of them had sweetheart deals that were well below the market for anything comparable. It was a real wake-up call for them when they began looking around in the general market.”

But other factors must be considered, he adds, for those tenants contemplating a move.

“They have to believe that Park Lane Mall, in the condition it was in, was really hampering their sales,” Keyzers says. “They have to believe that their sales will be much more significant elsewhere. It’s a leap of faith.”

A leap that some just won’t take.

“Some are folding up their tents and just saying they had a good run,” Keyzers adds, specifically naming Park Lane Café as a local loss. “I’ll really miss their gyros.”

— Additional reporting by Mikalee Dahle