After the fire that smoked out John’s Shoe Repair shop from his former storefront next to Mr. Bell’s salon, which resulted in a lease termination with a 3-day order to vacate by the new owner, the cobbler moved out and into a new location of 152 Main Street #16.

This is a first floor studio in the apartment complex located behind Mountain Tops which is owned by Joe Donovan, who was the former landlord for John’s She Repair when the fire took place, and negotiated a lease for the cobbler when he was selling to the new owner, Fadil Mavraj, the developer of the 206-208 Main Street building across the street (formerly Pleasant Ridge Pizza before undergoing a total re-build, and now home to House of Max and Butterhead Lettus). Joe ended up helping the cobbler by placing the shop into one of the apartments in the complex.

According to the Highlands Current, “Joe Donovan paid to move and store the couple’s equipment after the fire; John and HwaJa used their retirement money to move the equipment into the new space.”

However, the space was too small to accommodate their largest machine, and they held a fundraiser to raise $12,000 to buy a smaller one. While they raised $2,300 so far, it has not been enough to purchase the machine. The fundraiser remains open should you wish to donate.

The fire took place under Joe’s ownership, but months later when the sale of the building closed with Fadil, the new owner terminated the cobbler’s lease, stating that the fire gave cause to terminate the lease. The new landlord gave John’s Shoe Repair shop 3 days to vacate (as posted in this note). Fadil’s business did renovate the space and combined storefronts with Mr. Bell’s former space, after Mr. Bell was forced into retirement after the fire because Joe terminated his lease after the fire and before the sale of the building.

After the new owner Fadil’s renovation was complete, a new beauty shop boutique moved in to the newly combined space.

John’s She Repair is still open on Main Street and serving customers. They have found it extremely difficult to get the word out to people that they are still in Beacon, and on Main Street. So gather your shoes and purses that need repair, and head on down! Tell your friends.

After the fire back in July 2022 that destroyed Mr. Bell’s Main Street Beauty Salon at 209 Main Street, the shoe cobbler next door, John’s Shoe Repair, also suffered smoke damage.

Before the fire, the building was about to change owners, and the shoe repair shop had negotiated a multi-year lease with their previous landlord, Joe Donovan, in preparation for the sale to Fadil Mavraj of 201-211 Main Street, LLC, as reported in the Highlands Current..

The shoe repair shop’s notice to customers on where to find them around the corner on S. Brett Street while the space was renovated.

After the fire, the shoe repair shop owners YunTae “John” Oh and his wife, HwaJa Oh tried to work without electricity, but moved operations to a house around the corner on South Brett Street. A note with directions on how to get there with open hours was written and taped to the boards that were to remain up months after the fire. The note read: “Renovation will take a bit longer than we thought. At this time, we will be taking customers at our house. Until further notice, it is a 2 minute car ride from here...Please call or come to my house S. Brett Street. Rear Beacon NY.”

Renovations had been taking a long time. The fire happened in July 2022. Before the fire, Joe told the Highlands Current that he was scheduled to close on the sale of the building that housed the shoe repair shop to “Fadil Mavraj, the developer of the 206-208 Main St. building, within weeks.” The lease for the shoe repair shop was untouched, but “Donovan quickly determined it would not be possible to restore the barbershop before the sale, and terminated Bell’s lease at 211 Main,” he told the newspaper.

The sale of the building happened after the fire. Joe told ALBB: “The sale of 201-211 Main Street closed on 14-Sep-2022. The buyer was 201-211 Main Street LLC, whose principals constructed and own the nearby building [across the street] at 206 Main Street (on the corner of Digger Phelps).”

In October, with YunTae and HwaJa operating from the house on S. Brett Street, an affiliate of the new owners of the building was outside on the sidewalk. ALBB asked him when the shop would be able to open again, and he said he did not know, but was trying to help customers find their shoes.

The lease termination letter from 201-211 Main Street, LLC, Landlord and Owner, signed
By Lendita Mavraj, Manager, stating that the shoe repair shop needed to vacate within 3 days.

Within days, the shoe repair shop’s lease termination notice was taped to the boards of the shop. ALBB took a picture of it and showed it to HwaJa at the house. HwaJa expressed shock at seeing the notice, and said she had not seen it yet. She immediately called her daughter, who often serves as a translator for her parents in their business.

The lease termination letter stated that their lease would be terminated 3 days from the date of it being taped to the board. It also stated that they had 3 days to vacate the property and remove all of their things.

The couple’s daughter told ALBB that her mother was shocked to see her name on the letter that was posted publicly. She said that her parents were willing to pay a higher price and wanted to negotiate, but ultimately, felt the rent too expensive for them.

The lease termination letter is reprinted in full below:

To: Ja Oh Hwa
209 Main Street
Beacon, NY 12508

Lease between 201-211 Main Street, LLC with Ja Oh Hwa
Premises: 209 Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508

Dated: October 12, 2022

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that your Lease for the above-described premises will be canceled three (3) days from the date of service of this Notice upon you.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the premises have incurred significant fire damage and have been declared unusable by the Landlord. The Landlord therefore exercises its option under paragraph 14 of the Lease dated July 1, 2022, to cancel said Lease on three (3) days notice.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that you and all persons occupying the above described premises must vacate said premises, return all keys to the Landlord and remove all property, furniture, belongings and personal effects in and on the above-described premises no later than three (3) days after the service of this Notice upon you.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that in the event of your failure to vacate the premises within three (3) days of the service of this Notice upon you, the Landlord will commence summary proceedings to recover possession of the premises.

This Notice is being issued at least three (3) days prior to the date you must vacate the premises.

201-211 Main Street, LLC, Landlord and Owner
By: Lendita Mavraj, Manager

New Location and Equipment Fundraiser For John’s Shoe Repair

The couple has found a new location in the residential building behind Mountain Tops and Colorant, a property that Joe Donovan owns. According to the Highlands Current article, “Joe Donovan paid to move and store the couple’s equipment after the fire; John and HwaJa used their retirement money to move the equipment into the new space.”

However, the space is too small to accommodate their largest machine, and they held a fundraiser to raise $12,000 to buy a smaller one. While they raised $2,300, it has not been enough to purchase the machine. The fundraiser remains open.