Portsmouth bookstore with 270,000 books forced to relocate after 22 years
Jeannie Hunt had no indication this chapter of her life was coming to an end.
Hunt, owner of Jeannie’s Used Books at 3202 High St. in Portsmouth, is being forced to relocate her business and the 270,000-plus books within it. For the past 22 years, she has leased the 1,800-square-foot space, but received a letter from Kline Realty Co. telling her she needed to vacate.
“I got a letter in the middle of April saying I needed to be out by the end of May,” Hunt said.
A new landlord purchased the shopping center about a year and a half ago and wants to reconstruct her space, she said.
“At first, I was completely devastated,” Hunt said. “I need to find another place and pack. It’s gonna take the Navy to come move me.”
Hunt penned a letter to the realty company and they pushed her move-out date to Sept. 30. If she stayed after that date, Hunt said she was told her rent would increase by an additional $500 per month and she would be on a month-to-month basis.
Two adjacent stores, Life Cuts Barber Shop and Metro by T-Mobile, also had their leases terminated, according to the realty company.
Dave Foster, a real estate agent with Kline Realty, said the water is all on one meter and split between the three businesses. Foster said the previous owner charged a flat fee and was taking a loss every month.
“They’re going to take all those three spaces and combine them into one and have it so it’s one water meter per unit,” Foster said. “It has nothing to do with the tenants themselves at all, it’s just an unfortunate circumstance for everybody.”
Hunt, who commutes three hours round-trip from Edenton, North Carolina, is desperately searching for a new place to rent — around 2,000 square feet — and said she hopes to be out by the end of July.
An avid reader since she was a child, Hunt said she is known to have a little bit of everything in stock rather than a lot of one subject.
“I have a ton of children’s books, large print and the Bible is my bestseller,” she said.
Tracey Patterson of Chesapeake has stopped by the store regularly over the past 10 years.
“If you can’t find it at Jeannie’s, you can’t find it anywhere,” Patterson said.
Feeling overwhelmed, Hunt said her heart is full with so many people wanting to help her move.
“All my customers have offered to pack, they’re saving me boxes, and they’re offering their vehicles to help move boxes once I find a new location,” she said. “I’ve got so many people who are willing to help. Nobody wants to see me close. I’m truly grateful,” she said.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@insidebiz.com
