Mazatlan, Thai Lily waiting to move

Two businesses still occupy the building that was purchased by Walgreen’s in 2011 from Tandem Properties LLC. Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant and Thai Lily are both planning to move into spaces in the west end of the building, which still belongs to Tandem.

The east end of the Cedar Mill Place Mall is where the new Walgreen's store will go. Tenants will move to the west end as soon as the remodeling has been completed by Tandem.

Renovation on the west end has gone slowly. The county requires a comprehensive fire-suppression sprinkling system for a building that will eventually house three restaurants and two bars. The owners were reluctant to make such a large investment in an older building. Time has run out, however, and things seem to be moving forward.

Walgreens sent “Termination of Tenancy” notices to the two remaining tenants last month telling them they had to be out by June 30. The tenants have asked for an extension until August 1. Tandem is trying to get all work permits in place so the renovations may be quickly completed, but it's unlikely the work will be completed by then. It's unclear what will happen if they can't move in time.

Owner Huyen Dao, and his wife, Chef Diep Tran, want to continue to serve their Cedar Mill customers.

“Business has been really slow,” says Huyen Dao, owner of Thai Lily. “Nobody wants to drive into a mall that looks dead. Customers ask all the time when we will be moving.” At one point, Dao considered looking for another space.

Tandem has not been very forthcoming with information, either to The News, or to the tenants, and that has led to a lot of anxiety. “It’s been almost two years now since we heard that we had to move,” says Dao. “I am grateful that my lawyer has been on top of things, though.”

When the renovations are completed, local favorite Chinese restaurant WanQ will have a space next to the liquor store, in addition to the bar at the rear of the building, which they took over from Rococo a couple of years ago. Mazatlan and Thai Lily will move in to the old Rococo space to complete a veritable “restaurant row” for Cedar Mill.

Walgreen’s will begin construction soon. The last we heard, they’re planning a two-story facility (perhaps with parking above or below?) with a drive-through pharmacy window. It may be a 24-hour operation. They are going to do a “standing wall remodel” to avoid triggering the county’s Town Center ordinances, calling for sidewalk-oriented retail and other requirements when property is fully redeveloped.

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