Portsmouth’s M.M. Crockin furniture building sold to drone store operator

Sandra J. Pennecke, The Virginian-Pilot
·2 min read

A drones seller displaced by Pembroke Mall’s redevelopment landed at the iconic M.M. Crockin retail building on High Street in Portsmouth.

The owner of Dominion Drones Tech Co. bought the 33,800-square-foot Olde Towne building that formerly housed Crockin’s Furniture, which closed in 2015 after 126 years in business.

“I feel the environment in the downtown area of Portsmouth is pretty good and it’s business friendly,” Paul Liao, owner of Dominion Drones, said.

Liao operates DJI Store Virginia, an authorized seller of DJI’s drones, cameras and products. As drones became popular with consumers and hobby users, China-based DJI became a market leader.

The store used to operate in the Greenbrier area of Chesapeake before moving to Virginia Beach but then Pembroke Mall’s interior redevelopment prompted another move, he said.

In late March, High Street Properties Holding LLC managed by Liao bought 211, 213 and 215 High St. for $755,000, according to S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. The drone store, which also specializes in repairs, is operating in roughly 8,000 square feet on the first floor.

Liao said he plans to rent out part of the storefront as the space is larger than he and his two employees need.

Siblings Peter Crockin and Laurie Crockin Rhew sold the building where their father, A. Sylvester Crockin, operated Crockin’s Furniture. Their grandfather, Meyer Crockin, a Lithuanian immigrant, started the family business in 1889.

“He started selling dry goods and things with a pushcart up and down High Street,” Peter Crockin said.

The building burned down in 1965 but the business rebuilt on the same spot the following year. Peter Crockin said the tolls in and out of the city led to the final demise of the store that held its own against changing times and online sales.

“It was very traumatic for me because I’d been working there probably since I was 5 or 6 years old. I’d go in on Saturdays and summer vacations to work down there with my dad,” Peter Crockin said.

Crockin had high hopes to sell the building within 60 to 120 days of its closing sale, but it wasn’t until Liao’s business underwent some unexpected challenges years later that a deal was struck.

“I wish Paul well and I’m glad someone is going in the building to bring a tax base to Portsmouth,” Peter Crockin said.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@insidebiz.com