The National Park Service released a prospectus — a document outlining what NPS is looking for from businesses that want to move into buildings they own — for the Burcher Cottage in Yorktown.
The Burcher Cottage is the former home of the Yorktown Shoppe, which closed in January. The owners of the shop had finished out the terms of a one-year lease extension that came on top of their 10-year lease with NPS. They wanted to sell the business to an interested buyer, but the delayed release of the prospectus made the sale impossible so the store closed.
The Yorktown branch of the Carrot Tree restaurant, which is located in the Cole Digges House — another NPS property — was on the verge of closing last year when the prospectus for that property was also delayed. The owner of the Carrot Tree was able to work out a yearlong extension, however.
The new contract will start June 1 and will run for nine years and seven months. Proposals for the property must be submitted to NPS by May 1.
A document released with the prospectus outlining the history of concession operations at the cottage showed a downward trend since 2006, with revenue cut in half between then and 2012. The document suggested competition from Riverwalk Landing could be to blame, though according to the document, the owners of Yorktown Shoppe had spent little on advertising and had substantially reduced inventory in the final years the store was open.
The new tenant is required to provide all equipment, furniture and goods necessary to operate within the parameters of the contract. The property leftover from the Yorktown Shoppe is estimated by NPS to be worth around $8,100.
NPS estimates a $28,900 investment in inventory will be necessary to get a business started at the location. The new prospectus calls for the tenant to conduct all maintenance on the building and land around it, which is estimated to cost $1,200 for the first year of the contract. A total investment of around $38,300 will be required to get the business started, according to NPS estimates.
The minimum fee the new tenant will be required to pay NPS is 3.8 percent of the annual gross receipts for the term of the contract.
Anyone interested in touring the site can do so March 22. An RSVP is due March 21 to Lisa Monroe at NPS. You can reach her by calling 898-2406 or e-mailing her at [email protected]. Any questions regarding the property must be received in writing no later than March 29. For address information and to view the prospectus, click here.
The Burcher Cottage was built in 1887, according to documents released with the prospectus. An addition was built in the 1950s, and the 1,591 square foot building was restored in the 1970s.
