After 13 years of success in the same building downtown, Emery Nicoletti is learning a hard lesson about business and politics.

As owner of Metropolis Salon, 268 E. Congress St., Nicoletti may be left out of a high-profile revitalization project and forced to leave the building where it will occur.      

Three factors have put the future of his salon in limbo: risk, trust and operating “naked” without a lease. 

Print this story Email this story Post a Comment ADVERTISEMENT

“I do not have a lease, the five-year lease I had ran out about October 2008,” Nicoletti said. “When I saw the suits walking the streets and looking at my building, I started asking for a new lease, but they told me they were too busy, don’t worry, you’re not going anywhere. I took them at their word.”

Kwang C. An has announced plans to open An Congress, a 7,000 square-foot restaurant and sports bar, in the building Nicoletti’s Metropolis currently occupies.

An is the former owner of Sakura, which at one time had two locations, and currently owns Great Wall of China Restaurant, 2445 S. Craycroft Road.

Without a lease, Nicoletti acknowledged he has little negotiating power with building owner Scott Stiteler or leverage with Tucson City Council members, who he has passionately and publicly appealed to for help to stay downtown.     

At risk is Nicoletti’s personal investment of about $46,000 in building upgrades, repairs and improvements along with the money he has spent in advertising “to build my brand,” he said. Metropolis has 12 employees.

Nicoletti had a second Metropolis Salon, at 6640 E. Tanque Verde Road, but that was closed in January this year when the two were combined into the one downtown location.

For Nicoletti, there is another option. He says he has purchased a building in the vicinity of Swan and Fort Lowell roads but he didn’t want to disclose a specific address because it has existing tenants. Depending on what happens downtown, that building could be an option for him.

Contact reporter Roger Yohem at ryohem@azbiz.com or call (520) 295-4254