Antiques Center to stay open

MILLERTON — The Millerton Antiques Center (MAC), which learned in November it might close forever at the end of the year, has gotten a new lease on life with the news that five of its vendors are forming an LLC to save the business.

Antiques dealers Bob Murphy and Jack Lindsey of Doodletown Farm LLC and vendors at MAC for the past six years, organized efforts among some of the other dealers to form a corporation and strike a deal with landlords Robert Quinlan and Lionel Goldfrank. Quinlan and Goldfrank own the 15,000-square foot two-story building on Main Street, which for the past 10 years was rented by Bill and Leslie Flood, owners of the Millerton Antiques Center. They also ran another business, Leslie Flood Interiors, out of the bottom floor of the building.

Late last month the Floods decided not to renew the lease after Quinlan raised the rent from $4.85 per square foot per month to $5.51 per square foot per month, saying the numbers just didn’t add up. The Floods own the former David Gavin Salon building in Railroad Plaza; Leslie Flood Interiors is moving into that space.

Their departure left the 21 antiques vendors at MAC with a very large rent and a very large building. Murphy and Lindsey, however, were able to talk Quinlan into renting just the main floor of the building, along with the mezzanine, to their soon-to-be-established LLC.

“Mr. Quinlan has been very helpful with that and understands the time it takes to form the LLC, etc.,� said Lindsey, adding they’re trying to keep the name of the business the same and cause as few disruptions to its operations as possible.

“Our goal is we want customers to walk in on Jan. 1 and it to be exactly the same dealers and to feel that nothing has changed,� added Murphy. “We want it to be as seamless as we can make it. That’s the goal.�

One way they’re doing that is by keeping Mary Jean Hoss on as the center’s manager. They’ve also been working closely with the Floods in preparing for the transition.

“They’ve been very helpful, giving us an idea of what the expenses will be and what to expect. But it’s still scary,� Lindsey said “The nice thing is that the new partners are a really good mesh of people; we all get along well and work well together.�

There will be five partners in the LLC in total. Murphy and Lindsey said they approached those whom they thought could afford the investment and the risk, as well as make worthwhile contributions.

“The people who make up the five partners, some have managed businesses before,� Murphy said. “And among all of us, we pretty much have the bases covered.�

They already have ideas to help grow the business, including bringing on a few more vendors and soliciting more consignments. The center already has a reputation for attracting a varied and unique consignment trade and there are plans to build on that. Overall, however, the partners believe it’s a business formula that works well, and they figure they’ll continue with it. In fact, Murphy said that business increased more than 10 percent during the past year.

“In this economy that’s amazing,� he said. “We’re hoping to keep with that momentum.�

“I’m delighted,� said Cathy Fenn, a Townscape member who helped negotiate between Quinlan and the vendors when word of the Flood’s departure first got out. “I’m glad that everybody, instead of rumors flying around, got together and talked about it. Certainly nobody wants to see vacant buildings, whether it’s the landlord or the tenants. But I’m absolutely delighted. The Millerton Antiques Center draws a lot of people to Millerton and I’m glad it’s staying open. That’s terrific.�

“We’re just thrilled that it’s moving ahead,� Murphy said. “I do think it’s one of the best antiques centers in the area. It has great stuff and is well managed. It’s a good center.�

The LLC will be taking over the lease in January; Murphy and Lindsey said it took only 10 days from when they learned the lease would not be renewed until Quinlan signed their offer.

“We were so relieved,� Murphy said, adding that there was absolute cooperation from the other antiques vendors as well.

“A lot of people came up to us and said, ‘We can’t swing signing onto the LLC as partners, but if we can contribute toward making something work we would be happy to,’� Lindsey said. “So all of the dealers really pulled together to try to make this happen.�