According to real estate sources in town, Party Time chose toleave after finding out their rent would jump from $2,500 to $5,000monthly, and Craft Station opted for another location after itsrent was headed up by $700 a month. They'll be no waiting for newtenants at Village Plaza, though. Building owner Robert Apte isreplacing Craft Station with the offices of American Title Co., andreplacing Party Time with the Visual Image beauty salon.

The fact that one of the two retail spaces is now being used asoffice space has some tenants in the building worried they might benext. Others are less worried, saying title companies often leaseretail-like space, and that the hair salon will bring in shoppersjust as well as the previous tenants. Mark Triska, a ColliersInternational corporate real estate broker marketing the space forApte, says the presence of more downtown employees can potentiallyrevitalize the area, which has had a hard time attracting newretailers because of a lack of foot traffic in the downtownarea.