Dick's Sued Over Worcester Store's Missed Rent Payments

WORCESTER, MA — The owner of Worcester's Lincoln Plaza is suing a major anchor tenant over missed rent payments at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the latest turn for a shopping plaza that has seen a series of stores leave in recent months.

According to a federal lawsuit, the Dick's Sporting Goods store did not pay rent in April and May. Dick's closed most of its stores in March, and the Worcester location did not reopen until June when Massachusetts began lifting coronavirus restrictions.

Dick's cited a "force majeure" clause in its lease with Lincoln Plaza owner Retail Properties of America (RPAI), according to the suit. Pennsylvania-based Dick's sent similar letters to landlords across the country exercising that clause at the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times.

RPAI is asking a federal judge to force Dick's to pay about $110,000 in back rent for the Worcester store plus fees. The lawsuit also says Dick's did not pay rent at locations in Lansing, Mich., and in Seattle.

RPAI says the majeure provision doesn't apply to the pandemic — and even if it did, Dick's would still have to pay the rent at some point, according to the lawsuit.

"If the force majeure provision applies to Dick's obligation to pay monies and/or rent to RPAI under the lease that the asserted force majeure event only delayed, but did not excuse, Dick's obligation to pay monies and/or rent for April and May," the lawsuit says.

Dick's did not immediately return a request for comment about the lawsuit.

Lincoln Plaza has seen several major tenants leave in recent months. The Staples and Barnes and Noble locations closed this fall, and the A.C. Moore store closed one year ago, part of the craft retailer's larger nationwide shutdown.