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By Conor Shine (contact) 
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011 | 9:34 p.m.
Bob Coffin
Proposed pawn shop location
The plan to relocate a pawn shop obstructing the multi-million dollar redevelopment of a downtown Las Vegas casino is drawing criticism from local residents, who say they don’t want the business in their neighborhood.
Ace Loan, currently located at 215 N. 3rd Street, sits adjacent to the Lady Luck hotel and casino, which has been targeted for a $100 million facelift that will see the site reborn as Downtown Grand and become an anchor for further development in the area.
The owner of Ace Loan, Howard Bock, wants to move his store to a building he already owns at 519 E. St. Louis Ave., an area bordered by residential apartments and housing that is also home to the Super Pawn shop.
The Ace Loan would sit just 50 feet from the residential area and 20 feet from the other pawn shop. City code requires a 200-foot separation from the neighborhood and a 1,000-foot separation from similar businesses. On Wednesday, a representative for Ace Loan asked the city for a waiver to allow the move.
Todd Kessler, a consultant representing Ace Loan, said Bock wanted to move to the location because he already owned the building on St. Louis Avenue, and that its presence wouldn’t disturb the neighborhood because a pawnshop was already there. Kessler also noted that the Bock family has held a pawn license in Las Vegas for 60 years.
But Steve Franklin, who lives near the proposed site, said residents worry that Ace Loan moving in could lead to a proliferation of pawn shops, car title loan stores and other businesses that would affect the perception of the neighborhood and ultimately could affect property values.
“We want to protect the integrity of the neighborhood,” he told the council Wednesday.
Scott Swank, who lives in the nearby Beverly Green neighborhood, said residents he’s spoken with are “enormously opposed” to the pawn shop moving in.
Unlike Super Pawn, Ace Loan’s entrance would face the neighborhood and have a “visceral impact on those of us who live there,” said Swank, an employee of Vegas.com, a company owned by the Greenspun Corporation, which also owns the Greenspun Media Group and the Las Vegas Sun.
Councilman Bob Coffin, whose ward the pawn shop is looking to move into, opposed the location of the store and expressed dismay that its relocation was being forced by bigger business interests in Las Vegas.
“What I see here is a move being made to ease a downtown development project and push this into the laps of the neighbors,” Coffin said. “That’s the overarching issue and it’s not in print here. It really is something that’s on everybody’s mind, so let’s bring it out. I don’t think these neighbors should be asked to solve a business dispute between Mr. Bock and the developers (of Downtown Grand).”
Coffin considered moving to reject the waivers for the pawn shop outright, but was convinced by other council members to delay the vote until Jan. 18 to give Bock time to meet with neighbors and possibly work out a compromise.
Mayor Carolyn Goodman said she’s hopeful that Ace Loan can modify the property to move the entrance away from facing the neighborhood, and install signage and landscaping in a way that appeases residents.
But Franklin said he wasn’t optimistic an agreeable solution could be reached.
“I just think this is a bad place for a pawn shop,” he said.
Gosh forbid you mess with the wealthy neighborhoods, than its Armageddon. I don't know if I speak for everyone but I know I speak for some when I say screw that mans property value.
"We want to protect the integrity of the neighborhood."
Really?
I just looked on Google and saw the street view of this area. With everything that is already there within two blocks, exactly what integrity are they trying to protect?
Tower Dental? The Stratosphere? Siegel Suites? Super Pawn? Carl's Jr.? Belleza Wedding Chapel or the Divorce Lawyer next door?
Let them use their property. Allow them to create and keep jobs. Allow the development to continue downtown.
He can move in next to the check cashing place.
What is tremendously sad is that the Bock family have been local small business owners since the 1950s. Good corporate neighbors by all accounts and have TWICE had to move their businesses to accomodate big developments. Irving Star moved Ace Loan to accomodate the Fremont Street Experience to the current location on Third Street. Howard Bock moved the sister store, John's Loan, to accomodate the Golden Nugget redevelopment project. This is a good gentleman who has put all of his children through school and taken care of numerous family members while paying his taxes for well over 60 years. One may not appreciate the pawn business per se but, on the other hand, this is a small business owner who has contributed hard earned tax dollars to this community and twice been asked to move.
"I just think this is a bad place for a pawn shop"
?????? Don't you mean SECOND Pawn Shop considering it would be 20 FEET from an existing Super Pawn.
Come'on man! Casino resorts and pawn shops go hand-n-hand, just like milk and cookies, hot dogs and soda, caviar and wine. We don't want our gambling patrons to be inconvenienced in searching unreasonable distances for a pawn shop when they have lost all their cash flow and have to resort to pawning the diamonds and other precious gems that they may have in their possession.
Now, I certainly am not a business or financial genius, but my idea would be if I was a casino owner, would be to take a restaurant or store within my resort that was not performing well profit wise, and lease this space to a certified and reputable pawn broker. Yep, that's what I said, a pawn shop right on the casino property. You can't get any more convenient than that! For the resort owner, nothing like collecting a guaranteed high rent, and a share of the profits that the on-property pawn shop makes.
I would would even go a step further. In the high class casinos that the wealthy frequent, take their high-end jewerly and watch shops and have sales of newly purchased items on an immediate depreciation scale from the moment of their purchase. In another words, a high-roller comes on property and buys a per se, exclusive diamond and ruby necklace. Two days later during his stay at the resort, his / her gambling losses have maximized. The high roller comes back to the jewerly store to return the item. After two days have elapsed on the depreciation scale, a $25,000 sale on that particular piece of jewerly will be accepted as a return, but now the customer will only be returned $18,500. A clear profit of $6,500. The returned jewerly piece shall be refurbished in house, and put back on the store marketing shelf at a discount of $1,000. Still, a profit to the store of $5,500. Not bad. Sounds like a money-maker to me!
What so bad about a pawn shop? Maybe if there was some swanky strip club planning on moving in, that would be okay. When doing "lunchtime walks", my friend and I would stop at this little store front pawn shop on 3rd St on the other side of Fremont St. (not sure of the exact location). We would go in there just to look at the unusual and sometimes very expensive jewelry!! The people behind the counter were always very nice. I'm wondering if this is the same place?
well on the plus side, the vaseline sales will sky
rocket.
Given the history presented by AskquestionsNV, stating that the Boch family business has been made to moved two other times during their 60 years of business due to redevelopment of casino/resorts, the Bochs have proven they are good neighbors and there should be no problem with granting them permission to move to a property they own already on a business street. Sure, they might need to orient their door/entrance and landscape it to fit in with the rest of the neighborhood, but since there already exists another pawn shop, this changes nothing in that neighborhood.
Sure hope the Boch Family can work it out with the neighborhood, considering they will be able to generate tax revenues in form of support that benefits the area.