The day after the UA met with Sixth Street merchants to give them a definite move-out date, one merchant decided to throw in the towel.

Pizza City, 1145 E. Sixth St., closed Friday, one day after the University of Arizona told the Sixth Street merchants that it will not require them to vacate their current spaces until Jan. 1, 1998.

The letter, which was distributed to all who attended the Nov. 7 meeting, stated that the UA is "committed to retaining commercial services in the Sixth Street area." The letter also stated that merchants renting from the UA or UA Foundation can continue to rent at current rates.

The letter also states the UA will provide tenants with a minimum of 90 days notice to vacate.

"In my opinion, this is exactly what the UA wanted," said Tom Palliser, owner of Pizza City. "Now the landlord is losing money on the property, so he is more willing to sell."

He said his business was down 40 percent this semester due to a lack of advertising and nearby parking.

"You can't do business if there is no place to park," Palliser said. "They (the customers) pull up, there is no parking, and they leave. They don't want to wait around."

He added, "It was inevitable once the parking was gone. I am going to be in debt $15,000."

Palliser also said he plans to find another job to begin paying off his debts. He said he will not be able to reopen his establishment without the UA's help.

"If I do not get financial assistance, I will not be able to reopen," Palliser said.

Gordon Hamilton Sr. is the landlord who owns the property where Pizza City was located and the space occupied by Twelve Tribes Records and Sounds, Salam Market, Home Delivery Plus and Entertainment Magazine.

Hamilton said he was upset with Palliser, who he said "left me hanging with a mess" after backing out of a two-year lease.

Palliser also owes two months back rent, Hamilton said.

Hamilton said he is filing a lawsuit against Palliser for $10,000, which represents clean-up costs, back rent and lawyers' fees.

Palliser said he could not make any comments on the lawsuit that may be filed against him without talking with his lawyer.

As far as Hamilton knows, he said none of his other tenants are planning to move out, and all are caught up on their rent.

Dennis Francis, owner of Twelve Tribes Records and Sound, 1133 E. Sixth St., said he does not know what is really going on with UA's plans to expand in the area.

"Look me in the eye and tell me what is going on. Don't keep me in the dark," Francis said of his hopes for future communications with UA.

He added, "I'm not against the university and what they want to do. I can afford this rent. I couldn't afford to pay higher rent. It's not like my store makes lots of money, I make enough to survive."

Bob Zucker, adjunct journalism professor and owner of Entertainment Magazine and Home Delivery Plus, 509 N. Santa Rita Ave., occupies the space behind the former Pizza City.

Zucker said a decrease in the area's customer traffic does not affect his business, which he said is going well.

He said he agreed the area's parking situation is bad, and if the UA would have been quick to work with Palliser, the issue could have been resolved.

Bruce Wright, UA senior officer for economic development and community affairs, has not returned several of the Arizona Daily Wildcat's calls in the last two days.

The UA is currently offering $375,000 for Hamilton's property, but he said he feels it is worth $500,000.

Hamilton's family has owned the property since 1930, and he said he was given the property when his mother died in 1968.

"In 1968 when my mother died, the UA said be prepared to sell in the next two years," he said.

Hamilton said he would be willing to sell his property to the UA "in the blink of an eye."

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