Another Christmas present in my blog stocking! Chuck Brennan is closing payday lending stores in South Dakota!
The sign at the historic loop center on 10th street is no longer advertising concerts at the Badlands Pawn Shop, it is now a giant “For Sale” sign… listing a $6.2 million price tag.
The Dollar Loan Center on 41st street also has a sign that says it is for sale, the asking price is $1.25 million….
Stores in Yankton and Mitchell are also listed as closed [Adel Toay, “Dollar Loan Center Buildings for Sale,” KDLT, 2016.12.23].
All hyperlinks to South Dakota Dollar Loan Centers on the company website store locator now redirect to Chuck Brennan’s huffy-puff propaganda page whining about South Dakota voters’ wise choice to cap payday loan interest rates at 36% APR.
Brennan’s pawn shop-based radio state KBAD stated in a December 12 Facebook post that it is “here to stay.” Brennan’s badlandspawn.com (you can decide where you want to break the words) is still listing job openings for IT support, gun range safety, bartender, and three salespeople.
That entire block is for sale, including the former Brennan Rock & Roll Academy and the “Clark County Collection Services” building, which also houses the Scott Hoy law firm. I thought someone was already in the process of purchasing the Academy from Brennan.
It’s hard to tell if Badlands Pawn will be next to close. The gun range and radio station seem to doing well, and they are still producing those weekly infomercials. I guess we’ll find out after Christmas.
If Badlands Pawn is sold and closed, what could that large building be used for? I wonder if such a large building could attract businesses that could fit in with the “Sports & Entertainment” district, like Dave & Busters or a Buffalo Wild Wings? The same goes for this entire block. The buildings themselves look really nice and could definitely be re-used for better things.
It’s worth pointing out that, had the Republicans succeeded in making initiatives much harder to qualify for the ballot–and State Senator Corey Brown tried–Chuck Brennan and the rest of the payday loan industry would still be making 600% interest loans to poor people. Taking away the people’s power to enact laws themselves–which Brown’s legislation would have virtually done–would have also eliminated our power to regulate Chuck Brennan’s industry. The SD Legislature had every chance to regulate Brennan and his ilk, but they didn’t have the guts, so folks like Rev. Steve Hickey and Steve Hildebrand used democracy as their weapon, and threw over the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple.
Do South Dakotans really want to roll over for the Legislature’s planned power grab? We’ll see. But if we fight back, like Corey Brown did two years ago, I believe they’ll sound the trumpet of retreat.
Does South Dakota want to go along with this power grab by the Legislature? We’ll see.
Wade, is selling the block as a package an effort to prevent Teri Katzenberger or anyone else from salvaging the Rock and Roll Academy?
I agree that if Brennan also gives up Badlands Pawn, the facility could certainly be repurposed for other entertainment or dining uses. It’s a good location.
Drey, you’re right: the example of the public backlash that shut down Brown’s attempt in 2015 to curtail ballot measures shows us we can turn those turkeys back in the coming session. Everyone, keep an eye on the bills and the committee schedule!
Cory: I wouldn’t know if Brennan is attempting to block the sale of the Academy building by still listing the Academy and the other two buildings for sale. It does sound plausible though. There really hasn’t been much regarding the future of the Academy since the closure announcement.
In fact, I wonder if the news stations are growing tired of Brennan. KDLT was the first to break this story, and KSFY followed up the next day. KELO hasn’t said a thing. I didn’t see the news on the front page of that Sioux Falls paper, but since I recently got Adblock installed, it won’t let me read articles anyway. (I disabled Adblock for DFP since the ads here aren’t obtrusive)
Horray, we are running Chuck Brennan out of the state. We shut down racing in eastern SD which will amount to a lot of lost state tax revenue. No problem we can spend our money going to Jackson Mn, they will take it.
That’s the spirit, Greg. Holiday Season is the time to help neighbors in need. Unfortunately, the needs of South Dakota are so many and varied it would take a regular Marshall plan to fix. god loves you brother. I don’t know why.
We all did Big Chuck a favor… gave him opportunity for a few years of big tax write offs for the losses from his vain but unviable business exploits and subsequent property fire sales. Let those breaks help him now and not whatever can can squeeze out of our poor and elderly. Merry Christmas to the Brennans.
Mr. Hickey, I did not know that call that fellow “Big Chuck”, he does seem a bit portly but I thought he looked shorter than a fellow like you. He does seem to create viable businesses until the laws get changed to squeeze on him. I would not be surprised if he comes back by spending millions to just do something to get back at the tea and biscuit businesses or try and stick it to the churches or something. He seems like a dog being poked with a sharp stick right now. I just bet you there are tricks up people’s sleeves, oh yes indeed. But I hope that race track stays shut down and I bet you the neighbors do too.
Wade, I did find it interesting that KDLT and KSFY ran the story before KELO TV and that Sioux Falls paper. Have the big two caught up yet?
SD needs greedy scum like Brennan like we need a small pox epidemic.
KELO just caught up today with a story on their front page. That Sioux Falls paper’s website still doesn’t have it on their front page. I can’t tell if the print edition does since I don’t subscribe, and Winner doesn’t get the daily paper anymore.
The careers page is dead now: http://www.badlandspawn.com/careers/