UPDATED: 05/27/20 p.m.

The Hall on Franklin, located at 1701 N. Franklin St. in Tampa Heights, has been named in an eviction lawsuit.

Tampa Bay Business Journal] reports that A2 LLC, which owns the historic Farris Building that is home to the Hall (and CL Tampa Bay’s offices and event space on the second floor), filed court documents saying A2 terminated a lease held by Vigor Group LLC on May 16.

Hall on Franklin founder Jamal Wilson, who controls Vigor Group LLC, told TBBJ that he plans on reopening the Hall on June 12 (the Hall closed on March 20 in response to the coronavirus pandemic).

The lawsuit alleges that Vigor Group defaulted on its lease after failing to pay April and May rent.

“A2 is seeking $47,486.57 in back rent…,” TBBJ wrote. Wilson said that his attorneys are handling the backpay situation, which the publication detailed, along with news about Wilson's projects in St. Petersburg (Hall on Central) and Orlando.

The eviction news comes a week after Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reported that Bake'n Babes was moving out of the Hall and looking to grow. At the time, Wilson did not respond to CL’s request for comment. Landlord Maureen Ayral told CL she was not in a position to discuss the matter.

When contacted by CL last week, chefs Ricardo Castro and Rosana Rivera, who own Xilo and Kofe at the Hall, declined to comment until after a meeting that was supposed to be held today, May 27.

TBBJ added that North Star Eatery has also moved out of the Hall and that Asian concept Send Noods and the Chef & the Baker were set to move in (Chef & the Baker is another concept from Castro and Rivera).

Full disclosure: Creative Loafing Tampa Bay rents the second floor of the Hall on Franklin and uses the space for events and offices.

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