Cobblestone Village businesses concern about the future

MEDFORD, Ore.– Local businesses in a Medford shopping center are concerned about their future after the Medford School District announced it was looking at the space as a prospective new school.

The district is in the midst of negotiations with the property owner of Cobblestone Village about purchasing the land. They are currently in a due diligence period. However, businesses who’ve signed leases – some through 2023 – are now wondering what that means for them.

The businesses said they are waiting for word from property management and the district on what will happen. NBC5 News spoke with school district who said it’s recently been allowed to start speaking with businesses to work out deals.

Some businesses said they’ve heard from the district and have discussed potential offers but the district says nothing is being set in stone yet. Businesses NBC5 News spoke with said they want a fair deal from the district that would cover their costs if they have to move.

“I mean we definitely don’t want to work against the school district of coming in here but we want to work together that it benefits for both us,” said Laurel Lyon, owner of Che Bella Salon. “None of us are out to make money in this. We just want our business to be moved and restarted somewhere.”

Businesses say a big worry is having to pay out of pocket for the expense of moving and finding a new location.

The school district says it plans to work with each of the 30 businesses in the village to reach a deal that works best. It asks if any business hasn’t been contacted by the school district yet to call the facilities department on the district’s website.

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