Future of Oak Lawn’s Crossroads Market uncertain

by John Wright of Dallas Voice

The future of Crossroads Market, the gay-oriented retail establishment that’s been a fixture on the Cedar Springs strip for more than 27 years, remains uncertain.

In November, current Crossroads Market owner Richard Longstaff announced he didn’t plan to renew his lease on the building at 3930 Cedar Springs Road, which expires Dec. 31, because the property owner was asking too much money.

Don Sheets, who subleases the coffee shop inside Crossroads, has said he wants to stay open and take over the rest of the store — which houses things like books, magazines and gifts — from Longstaff.

On Thursday, Dec. 27, Sheets said he has verbally agreed to the terms of a new lease with Eagle Equity Management, the company that manages the property for the owner. However, Sheets said Eagle Equity had not yet produced a copy of the lease for him to sign. Represen-tatives from Eagle Equity Management did not return a phone call seeking comment.

“They’ve promised me a lease,” Sheets said. “We’re coming down to the wire.”

Sheets said even if there is no new lease in place, he intends to remain open as long as he can after the new year. In fact, he said he already plans to offer free coffee on Jan. 2 for First Wednesday, a monthly promotional event organized by the Cedar Springs Merchants Association.

Longstaff, who’s owned Crossroads for the last four years, said Thursday he plans to sell any remaining merchandise and the rights to the store’s name to Sheets. Longstaff said he spoke with the owner of Eagle Equity on Wednesday, Dec. 26, and believes there is a 90 percent chance Crossroads will remain open.

“We can’t do any transactions until the landlord comes up with a lease for him [Sheets], and they keep friggin’ around,” Longstaff said. “More than likely, it’s going to stay open, but for how long, I don’t know. No one wants to see that corner go dark.”

Longstaff said he believes Crossroads is the last independent bookstore in Dallas. He said one of the reasons he bought it is that he didn’t want to see it close.

Longstaff decided not to renew the lease because Eagle Equity informed him the rent for the roughly 5,000-square-foot space would nearly triple.

Crossroads Market was started by legendary Dallas gay figures Terry Tebedo, Bill Nelson, William Waybourn, Craig Spaulding, Phil Johnson and several others in 1981. All of the original owners — with the exception of Waybourn, Spaulding and Johnson — are deceased.

Crossroads was the birthplace of the gay rights and HIV/AIDS advocacy movements in Dallas. Nelson, the first openly gay candidate for the Dallas City Council, ran his campaign from the back of the store.

Community leaders have expressed a concern that the closure of the store could further contribute to a decline in the Cedar Springs strip’s economic health.