Short Stop Market to close

The Short Stop Market will close at the end of June, the store’s owners announced today — which means this summer, for the first time in 50 years, there will not be a convenience store at 521 S. Orange Ave.

The Short Stop Market, located on the edge of the Burns Court and Laurel Park neighborhoods, opened in 2001, though a convenience store has operated on the site since the 1960s. Owner Ali Molavi said it was a bittersweet decision, but the downtown real estate environment created an enticing opportunity to sell the property.

“We want to thank everyone for their loyalty and their patronage throughout the 15 years,” Molavi said. “We’ve definitely formed a lot of friendships — not just customers.”

Molavi said the Woman’s Exchange, a consignment shop located next door at 539 S. Orange Ave., was purchasing the property.

On March 3, the city received building permit applications for the Short Stop Market and Woman’s Exchange properties, according to the city website. Comments from staff, dated March 8, indicate that a portion of the Short Stop Market property is intended to be used as a loading area for the Woman’s Exchange. The city approved building permits for both properties on April 7.

Last year, the city rejected a planned expansion at the Woman’s Exchange that would have created a loading area on Rawls Avenue. As of February, the Woman’s Exchange said it had not made a decision about its future on Orange Avenue.

Representatives for the Woman’s Exchange did not immediately respond to requests for further information.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.