WINTER PARK, Fla. – A longtime Park Avenue boutique is preparing for a major move after its owners say they were given just 30 days to leave the storefront they’ve occupied for decades.
Tuni, a women’s clothing boutique that has operated on Park Avenue for 40 years, announced Saturday that it must vacate its current location after the building’s new owner decided to bring in a national retailer.
“It’s daunting,” owner Paige Blackwelder said. “We’ve got to find another spot, and then we have to move as well.”
According to Blackwelder, Benderson Development purchased the building about two years ago. She said the company informed Tuni that it would not renew its lease because it wanted to bring in a national brand.
Blackwelder said the store has not been told which retailer will take over the space.
Store manager Lisa Blackwelder said the timeline has been difficult for employees and ownership.
“We don’t even have time to grieve,” she said.
The boutique announced the news in a Facebook video over the weekend, prompting an outpouring of support from customers, neighbors and longtime patrons.
“I’ve had so many clients give us ideas on where to go and send us signs for lease signs, places and people they know,” Paige Blackwelder said. “That’s been amazing.”
Blackwelder said she knew a move could eventually happen once the store’s lease expired. What surprised her was the amount of notice the business received.
“The one thing I would ask for is just more time,” she said. “Why not give us 90 days? Why not give us 60 days even? Just some more time. And when they redevelop this, I wish that they would keep the local flavor.”
News 6 contacted Benderson Development on Monday to ask what national retailer could be moving into the space and about the timeline given to Tuni. The call was directed to voicemail, and no response had been received as of publication.
The building includes Tuni, the Park Avenue Hotel and several other businesses along the block. Blackwelder said she has not been told whether any neighboring businesses could also be affected.
Despite the move, Blackwelder emphasized that Tuni is not closing permanently.
“This is not a closure,” she said. “We’re going to close this door but open another one.”
The owners said they are actively searching for a new location but have not secured one yet.
In a statement to News 6, the Park Avenue District said it is committed to helping Tuni remain part of the area.
“As they begin this next chapter, the Park Avenue District is committed to supporting them and helping them identify opportunities to remain part of the district they have helped shape for decades,” the statement read in part.
News 6 has also requested information from the Park Avenue District and the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce about locally owned businesses that have closed within the last year and whether they are seeing an increase in small businesses being displaced from Park Avenue.