WATERLOO - The family that owns the Huether Hotel says they haven't closed the door to keeping the Original Princess cinema as a tenant.

"Everything is negotiable," said Kelly Adlys, a manager at the Huether. "Talk to me."

Original Princess owners John and Wendy Tutt received an eviction notice last week stating they'd have to vacate the Princess Street space they've occupied since 1985 by the beginning of June.

While Adlys said Wednesday the notice still stands, he said they haven't yet signed a lease with a new tenant.

"You can always negotiate while you give notice," he said. "We've got a couple of tenants that want the space. They haven't signed anything yet. There's nothing in stone."

This came as news to the Tutts on Wednesday, who said they'd been told a lease agreement with a new tenant had been signed. They've already notified customers of the looming closure that would see their 34-year run at the Original Princess come to an end in mere weeks.

"I do have a glimmer of hope," Wendy said. "We just want some kind of a solution."

The Tutts also own the nearby Princess Twin cinemas on King Street, where they own that building.

Giving notice to the Tutts was a business decision, Adlys said.

He said the movie theatre has been renting the space on a month-to-month basis since their last lease ended in 2012.

Adlys said they'd given the Tutts a break on the rent by covering property taxes following the installation of expensive digital projection equipment at the cinema in 2012.

But property taxes increased by about $27,000 last year for the Huether property, Adlys said, prompting a rent increase for all of the Huether's tenants.

At the same time, there's interest in the Original Princess space from prospective tenants willing to sign a longer-term lease, undertake renovations and pay higher rent.

"I like John, but I need to make money," Adlys said. A tenant is interested in opening in September, following three months of renovations, he said.

Provincial law requires one month's written notice for a commercial landlord to end a month-to-month tenancy.

Reaction to the eviction notice has come fast and furious on social media, with many people angered by the move. "I was disappointed," Adlys admitted. "This is getting a little out of hand."

Adlys said his family has always had a good relationship with the Tutts. "(John's) a very good tenant," Adlys said. "He helps our business, we help his business."

The Tutts expressed similar sentiments. "The Adlys family has been our landlord for 34 years, and that means a lot to our family," Wendy Tutt said. "This just came out of the blue."

bdavis@therecord.com

Twitter: @DavisRecord

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