Practice Task 11 · Parts 1–4

From: Odilon Kasprzak, Owner, Thistle & Thread Fabric Shop

To: Marguerite Ellsworth, Property Manager, Birchcombe Plaza

Subject: Interest in Unit 14 next door

Hi Marguerite,

I noticed the sign in the window of Unit 14 last week saying it's available again. I've been in Unit 13 for six years now, and the shop has genuinely outgrown the space; I currently store half my fabric bolts in a rented storage unit across town, which is inconvenient and costs me almost as much as a small retail lease would.

Would the plaza consider knocking through the shared wall between 13 and 14 so I could combine the two spaces into one shop? I understand this might require the landlord's approval for structural changes, and I'd want to know upfront whether that kind of request has ever been approved here before I invest time drawing up a proposal.

I should mention that my current lease on Unit 13 has fourteen months remaining, and I don't know whether combining units would require breaking that lease and signing an entirely new one, or whether it could be handled as an amendment. I'd obviously prefer not to lose my current, quite favourable rate on Unit 13 if that can be avoided.

Also, is Unit 14 available immediately, or is the current tenant still finishing out their notice period? The sign didn't specify.

Thanks,

Odilon

— REPLY —

From: Marguerite Ellsworth

To: Odilon Kasprzak

Subject: RE: Interest in Unit 14 next door

Hi Odilon,

Great timing — Unit 14's outgoing tenant vacates at the end of this month, so it will be genuinely available then, not just listed in anticipation.

Structural changes like removing a shared wall have been approved twice before in this plaza, both times for tenants combining adjacent units, so this is not unprecedented, though each request still goes through our building engineer for a load-bearing assessment before we approve anything. I'd need a rough sketch of what you're proposing before I can forward it for review.

On the lease question: we can typically handle this as an amendment to your existing Unit 13 lease rather than requiring you to sign an entirely new one, which means your current rate on that unit would be preserved. Unit 14 would be added at its own posted rate, prorated for however long remains on your Unit 13 term, so the two would run on the same schedule going forward.

One thing to flag: the wall removal itself, if approved, would need to be done by a contractor we approve, and the plaza does not cover that cost — it would be the tenant's responsibility, typically in the range of $8,000 to $15,000 depending on what the engineer's assessment requires.

Send me that sketch whenever you're ready and we'll get the ball rolling.

Marguerite