Business & Tech

Aurora, Blockbuster Vacancies at a Legal Standstill

Waiting for exciting new tenants to fill the former Blockbuster and Aurora Pharmacy locations near Pick 'n Save? Don't hold your breath.

After both and in March and April, residents began buzzing about what was in line to fill the spaces.

“Have you heard anything about what would possibly be going into the Blockbuster and the Aurora Pharmacy spaces?” asked Dyan Oleson Brinkman on Sussex Patch’s Facebook page. “I am crossing my fingers for Panera. Wouldn't the pharmacy be the PERFECT location for it?”

According to village officials, residents shouldn’t hold their breath.

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Roundy’s Supermarkets, the company that owns , is in charge of leasing the entire strip mall attached to the grocery store. However, although Roundy’s has failed to respond to Patch’s numerous inquiries about the vacant spaces, they have been talking with Village Administrator Jeremy Smith.

“We have not been talking with any new tenants yet,” Smith said. “We’ve been in contact with the landlord, and they’re currently being paid rent by both of those entities. I’m sure the owners would like to fill it, but it’s not a big priority when the former tenants are still paying rent. They have signed leases they need to fulfill. The fact that Blockbuster and Aurora are not in operation doesn’t mean the owners aren’t being paid.”

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Blockbuster in early January, giving itself three months to sell its inventory until it officially closed in late March. The shutdown came after Blockbuster L.L.C announced it was closing 1,500 stores nationwide in July 2011.

Aurora, on the other hand, . From as far north as Green Bay to the south in Twin Lakes, Aurora sold 11 of its client lists to Walgreens pharmacies. The store pulled its inventory weeks after it closed.

The big question stands: How much longer will Sussex residents be looking at vacant storefronts? 

"I don't have any specific information how long the leases run. That's a private business matter," said Smith. "The village is certainly working to fill those spaces and so are the owners of the Pick 'n Save property as it makes sense to them. We're just operating on two different timelines here as far as incentives go. We're doing what we can to fill those spaces and they ultimately will too, so it's just a matter of timing and their lease terms."

Editor's Note: This article was updated with new information regarding lease timelines and Roundy's property managment. 


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