Two new tenants move to Sixth Street

Two new tenants move to Sixth Street

By D. Shayne Christie
Arizona Daily Wildcat
December 3, 1996

Robert H. Becker
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The store front Pizza City used to occupy still sits vacant since its closure Nov. 8, but two business have expressed interest in renting the space.

Only weeks after Pizza City went out of business there are two new tenants interested in moving into the vacant building on Sixth Street.
According to Gordon Hamilton Sr., landlord of the property at 1145 E. Sixth St., the space Pizza City used to occupy, is going to be rented out as two spaces.
Hamilton said David Fox, owner of David Fox Photography, and Medhat Latif have signed leases with him. Hamilton said the businesses should be up and running by the first of the year.
Fox said he decided to move into the space after he had trouble finding a place for his business over the past four to six weeks.
He said he has worked with University of Arizona students in the past and will offer students photos that are "different than your typical Olan Mills."
Fox also said he does commercial advertising and industrial photography.
He agreed that the move to Sixth Street is a transitory one that will allow him to test the market in a location close to campus with relatively cheap rent.
Latif plans to open a business in the space next to Fox, but did not return repeated calls from the Arizona Daily Wildcat.
Pizza City closed Nov. 8 after owner Tom Palliser became unable to keep up with the bills.
Palliser attributed his financial woes to a lack of effort by the UA to include him in their plans to expand, which resulted in a lack of parking and advertising for his business.
Hamilton had previously told the Daily Wildcat he planned to sue Palliser for backing out on his lease and for clean-up costs of about $10,000.
"I thought it was an excuse to get out of the lease," Hamilton said. But he said, "I think he really did go broke."
Hamilton said he does not intend to proceed with a lawsuit at this time.
Palliser is still seeking employment to start paying off his bills.
"I would still be in business, in my opinion, if we hadn't lost all the parking," Palliser said, adding he has not talked to the UA since he went out of business.
Palliser said he felt his rights as a business owner were violated by the UA but that he is not actively pursuing litigation at this time.
Hamilton said he also has plans to rent out parts of the former Pizza City as apartment space, which should be ready by the first of the year.