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WHAT’S GOING ON with the For Sale or Lease Sign Out Front of Blockbuster? Is Boone Losing Blockbuster?

By Paul T. Choate

The Blockbuster building on Blowing Rock Road is up for sale or lease. Photo by Ken Ketchie
The Blockbuster building on Blowing Rock Road is up for sale or lease. Photo by Ken Ketchie

March 1, 2013. Have you noticed the big for sale or lease sign in front of the Blockbuster on Blowing Rock Road? The Raleigh-based development and investment firm Crosland Southeast is advertising the property is on the market.

But fear not, movie lovers. Boone’s only large chain movie rental business isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

According to Barbara Ellis, Blockbuster director of marketing and public relations, although Blockbuster is in the process of closing 300 stores nationwide, the Boone location is not among them.

“In all cases, whoever the landlord is over the building has the opportunity to sell or change ownership of the building at will,” Ellis said. “I would assume whoever he or she is just wants to sell that commercial real estate. That doesn’t have anything to do with Blockbuster.”

Ellis said all this means is that the Blockbuster in Boone will likely soon have a new landlord and said it likely wouldn’t change the company’s lease agreement with the building.

As for why Crosland Southeast is listing the property for sale or lease, that remains an unknown as calls to the firm were not returned as of presstime.

According to Watauga County tax records, BBI Operating LLC (a subsidiary of Dish Network, as is Blockbuster LLC) owns the land and building where Blockbuster is located. However, Ellis said many of the Blockbuster stores around the country went through ownership changes during the company’s 2010-13 bankruptcy and acquisition by Dish Network, and that it was entirely possible that a development and investment firm could have purchased it during that time. 

For more information about Blockbuster, call 828-265-4024.