Two local business owners have been dealt a significant blow by the city of St. John’s after their seasonal business venture was shut down due to what they call “bureaucratic red tape.”
Ivy and Greg Hanley are co-owners of Urban Market 1919 on Lemarchant Road in St. John’s.
Last year they opened up a seasonal venture, the Christmas House, at a property next door. However, they say the location was not accessible and about two and a half months ago they started eyeing the front end of the nearby Brookfield Factory.
On Halloween the city voted in favour of rezoning the space for retail use, and the next day they opened.
Ivy says they didn’t have a physical copy of that permit at the time, but remained in constant contact with the city.
On Thursday, she says they received the permit in the mail, but were surprised to also find a vacate premises letter with it.
Greg says they have all the permits in place, but without a physical copy they couldn’t order the inspections to go with it, and thus the city has shut them down over safety concerns.
With the seasonal venture accounting for about 60 per cent of their yearly revenue, Ivy says the closure is a big hit.
She says the impact is “so massive, it’s very hard to explain.” She says between Urban Market and the Christmas House they have over 400 vendors, and this time of year they increase to around 28 staff, which is an “amazing impact” to the area. Hanley says every day they’re closed is a major pushback.
The couple is hopeful to have a resolution quickly, but they are looking at other options if that doesn’t happen.
Meanwhile, the city of St. John’s has issued a statement on the situation.
They say all businesses in the city are required to have an occupancy certificate ensuring they comply with all necessary regulations, and businesses operating without approval may be required to close until compliant.
The city’s full statement can be read below.
“Businesses operating in the City of St. John’s are required to have an Occupancy Certificate ensuring they comply with the National Building Code, the Life Safety Code and all applicable municipal regulations. Any business operating without approval may be, required to close until it is compliant. The purpose of these Codes and regulations is to provide safety standards for the use and occupancy of buildings.” -Statement from the City of St. John’s.
