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Lucy Florence Coffee House and Cultural Center has been evicted from their space in Leimert Park Village after a protracted three year legal battle with the property’s owners, according to Mary Hill-Wagner of Intersections South LA Report.
"Things were supposed to be OK," said co-owner Richard Harris on the phone today.
He is still holding out hope, even though the doors are locked and he sent out a Facebook invite to buy all the store's fixtures. (He said the sale's on hold)
Ron and and Richard Harris published an open letter last week on Leimert Park Beat trying to explaining their side of the story about the eviction. The explanation followed a time where they shuttered the store in order to return to Atlanta for a medical emergency, as they explained in a story and letter on Intersections South LA.
When they returned, the Harris twins contacted the media to explain they weren't closing. They took the opportunity to have a huge sale and also chided the local community for not supporting businesses in Leimert Park Village, a complaint echoed by EsoWon Bookstore as well.
Owners of the building that house Lucy Florece refused to comment, but according to South LA Report their attorney Barry S. Parker said: “It’s was my understanding because of financial hardship, (the tenants) were not able to fulfill their commitment."
The Harrises also had a dispute about rent with the psuedo governmental agency Community Build a decade ago before moving their operations to their current location.
Lucy Florence, named after the Harris' mother who is living in Atlanta, was founded in 1996. The venue sold coffee, pastries and women's accesories at the storefront. But it was so much more.
They were featured on America's Next Top Model with Tyra Banks as the Aswirl Twin. The center hosted art shows (including one with Sam Pace - the creator of the artwork used above in the banner for Leimert Park Beat), one-woman plays, bridge clubs and had a host of semi-secret rooms filled with ephemera and treasures. Yet there weren't a lot of items for sale. It also hosted the Los Angeles Urban Round Table hosted by Earl Ofari Hutchinson.
"The closing of Lucy Florence Cultural Center is a huge blow to Leimert Park," said Hutchinson (DISCLOSURE: I have worked with Hutchinson in the past). "For a decade, the center has been a national and even international African-American cultural and social landmark, a popular social and political meeting place, and an economic anchor for small businesses in Leimert Park. We and everyone who understands the importance of having a major cultural and social landmark in our midst have suffered an irreplaceable loss to our community, the city and the nation."
Lucy Florence has a second location on Pico and Spaulding.
Comment
While I'm all for making our neighborhood the best it can be, we need to make sure people know how great it already it is.
Word of mouth is something everyone can do and is very important. We all have access to Leimert Park Beat, which is connected to facebook and twitter. Most people in LA have yet to experience Leimert Park firsthand, or even know what it is.
Also there are a lot of things in the village that are free - such as the art walk on the last Sunday of the month - and support in the form of your presence really means a lot.
This is a great discussion - very thoughtful!
It's always sad when a business has to close, no matter what the reason in. I do also agree that businesses in Leimert Park cannot be solely dependant on the Black community for total support. Outreach to all communities and everyone is the only way to sustain. As a Leimert Park resident, I have been hit hard by these tough economic times and don't have the extra income to spend and I'm sure many are in the same position.
Unfortunate!
While I admire the brothers wanting to stay in Leimert Park, I also would like to know exactly what have they done to enhance/given to the community so much? I also understand that one can't conduct a business in a rented facility unless you pay your rent.
Although many community events/meetings have been held at Lucy Florence, I hardly feel it is the responsibility of the people to bail them out every time they are being evicted, especially under the pretense that it is a "cultural Center" for the community!
Lucy Florence is a business!
At those affairs and events they sold things, and in fact it was because of those events/meetings that brought people into the place!
It is unfortunate that some feel that because their business is located in a black community, someone should always be there to bail them out. They do not seem to have this problem when their business is located in other communities however, just the "Black" community.
The merchants in the Village have held on for years, however, it has never been what it could be, or lived up to it's potential. If you want the public to support you by shopping, dining, participating in your business you must provide something that the public wants, otherwise they go to other communities to spend their monies.
I am happy that the brothers still have their location on Pico. The 10th district is an excellent place to be in business, as the area is being built up and growing.
I sincerely hope that the brothers will run their store as a business and not relay on the community to bail them out simply because they are black and have a business located in a majority black community.
I wish them good luck!
"For a decade, the center has been a national and even international African-American cultural and social landmark, a popular social and political meeting place, and an economic anchor for small businesses in Leimert Park. We and everyone who understands the importance of having a major cultural and social landmark in our midst have suffered an irreplaceable loss to our community, the city and the nation."
I agree with this statement. Wow what another blow, irreplaceable loss!!!
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