OAKLAND — A Little Peace of Heaven, the Montclair children’s clothing store that opens and closes and opens and closes, is now open for business after a more than month-long hiatus since around Christmastime.
And when owner and designer Nafisa McGlynn was asked if she renewed a lease with the building’s owner, which gave her a five-year option on the Mountain Boulevard property, she said, “I’m not closing. I’m here to stay.”
A Little Peace of Heaven has been part mystery, part aggravation to Montclair residents, business owners and Montclair Village Association’s Executive Director Daniel Swafford. They’ve pointed out the store was closed and storefront unkept for two years before opening for a brief period in December. Swafford said the association just wants the store, which occupies property that can fetch somewhere around $4,000 per month in rent, to be active and open for business.
“We want it to be a thriving commercial space,” Swafford said. “If it’s A Little Peace of Heaven there and they’re open and engaged with the community, then that’s what we want.”
Swafford said he spoke with the landlord, businessman Tom Lee, who bought the building with A Little Peace of Heaven already a tenant. Swafford said that Lee, who has declined to comment, has offered to help relocate the business. He said Lee “inherited a very poor lease” with an option for McGlynn to extend it for five more years. McGlynn did not say if she signed for the additional five years.
“Obviously, there’s tons of kids in the Montclair district,” Swafford said. “It could be successful. They have the inventory to do well, but they have to be open for business.”
McGlynn was in A Little Peace of Heaven this past Saturday morning, steaming a delicate white dress with black flowers on it. She didn’t want to speak to the media, and called this newspaper and the other business owners “mean,” but said the store was closed in late December through January because she had the flu. She said during the holidays someone came into a packed event at the store coughing and the virus spread.
Many stores in the Montclair district are small businesses with single business owners. Swafford said that most businesses there cannot afford to close their doors for a month or more. One of the tactics business owners take to keep their doors open is to hire staff.
“I have a staff,” A Great Good Place for Books owner Kathleen Caldwell said. In fact, on that same Saturday, there were at least two people aside from Caldwell at the register and more in the back sorting books. Caldwell also does work-trade with young people, working hours for books.
When asked if she thought about hiring a manager to keep the doors open if another illness befalls her, McGlynn said she has interviewed two people and has appointments with three more. She said she didn’t want to hand the keys to the register over to just anyone.
She repeated it was rough opening the store in the beginning because of mold, asbestos and roof leaks. Ceiling tiles show obvious water damage and McGlynn said some of her stock was ruined because of leaks.
Swafford said that there’s not much the business association can do if McGlynn decides to close the store again but keeps paying her rent. So, Swafford, residents, and Montclair business owners can only hope that McGlynn runs a business that everyone can be proud of.
“I would like to see something there that would help Montclair flourish,” Caldwell said.
