Westside business owner Yon Park was all smiles upon hearing the news from Baltimore Development Corp. President M.J. “Jay” Brodie that her business, Modern Mode in the city’s Superblock development area, would be spared the bulldozer and a legal fight.

“I am so happy to stay here,” Park said from her shop. “I was prepared to go to court and fight it out with the city. I own this land, but luckily I can stay.”

Park said threats from the city to displace her caused her to stop buying merchandise and expanding her business of 13 years. But the good news had her out on a spending spree.

“It has been real hard here with the loss of foot traffic,” she said. “But I hung in here, and now with the city finally redeveloping this area, I expect my business to really pick up.”

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Though the city and BDC are accommodating Park, they still plan to seek eminent domain against businessman Nam Seo “George” Koo, owner of New York Fashions, and restaurateur Soon Kim, owner of Shane’s restaurant and carryout.

“We have reached the end with Mr. Koo,” Brodie said. “We will make him one final offer to relocate his business, and if he refuses, the city will move forward with its plans to seek eminent domain.”

Brodie said the city has offered Koo a smaller building for his shop in the Superblock area, but his warehouse would have to be relocated somewhere else in the city. “We don’t have the available space for both in the area,” he said.

According to Koo, splitting his business operations in half would disrupt his business.

For Park’s attorney, eminent domain guru John Murphy, who also represents Koo and Kim, the BDC’s news lessened his caseload.

“It’s funny, when I took Mrs. Park to see Mr. Brodie, the receptionist at the BDC, upon seeing Mrs. Park, said, ‘Hi Mrs. Park, has my dress come in yet?’ ” Murphy said.

“There, right inside the BDC, was confirmation that she, like Mr. Koo, have viable businesses with a following.”

Murphy said, however, that while Park’s situation was resolved, his other clients’ were not.

“In this case, I give Brodie an A-plus where Mrs. Park is concerned, but we still intend to fight him and the city on Mr. Koo’s and Mrs. Kim’s behalf,” he said. “I don’t know why the city is preferring the Weinberg Foundation to Mr. Koo, who has a highly successful business in place with stores in Towson, Owings Mills and White Marsh, as well as a loyal following.”

rchappelle@baltimoreexaminer.com