Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Update: Kam Man Market "Sealed Off" from South Bay Center

In April, we reported that an Asian supermarket just south of downtown Boston had apparently closed, with its status being unclear at the time. Now we have learned a bit more about what exactly is going on.

The Dorchester Reporter mentions that Kam Man has been "sealed off" from South Bay Center near the Southeast Expressway in Dorchester due to a dispute concerning the planned addition of a Dollar Tree store within the space. The article says that  E&A Northeast Limited Partnership, which owns the shopping center, has been against the market sharing its space with the store, and once signs went up for the Dollar Tree in late April, jersey barriers were set up at the entrance of the market's parking lot, which kept customers and delivery trucks from being able to get into the lot. The store is now closed and the dispute is heading to court, with a hearing taking place on June 23 in Suffolk Superior Court.

According to the article, the building in which Kam Man resides is not owned by E&A, but the market's sole access is by way of Allstate Road, which is mostly owned by the company. The post says that according to court documents, E&A agreed to allow the previous market in the space (Super 88) to use the access road in exchange for an annual sum over the course of a 20-year period, with the deal including "limiting the total area of the building and restricting certain commercial use within the building itself." Earlier this year, Kam Man told E&A about its plans, which was opposed by the company because they said it was in violation of the lease agreement that Kam Man assumed from Super 88. E&A then made an offer on the Kam Man building, but the offer was rejected and the barriers went up soon after the Dollar Tree signs were posted.

The address for Kam Man in South Bay is 101 Allstate Road, Dorchester, MA, 02125.

[Earlier Article]
Kam Man in Boston's South Bay Has Closed; Status Unknown