Building owner Eric Eremita in the doorway of the recently vacated bottle shop at 1 Broad Street. (Photos by Trish Russoniello. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

The ever-fluid mix of stores in downtown Red Bank continues to churn with the disappearance in recent days of Heritage Liquors from the corner of Broad and East Front Streets.

Eric Eremita, a television personality who bought the building from store owner Ktae Sun Pae last November for $700,000, says Pae “left very abruptly” about 10 days ago, taking her inventory of wine, beer and spirits with her.

On Thursday, Eremita was giving away store displays left behind. (Click to enlarge)

Pae could not be reached for immediate comment. According to broker JoAnn Clark, of Blue Winn Commercial Realty, Pae “chose to close the store  just short of the expiration” of a use-and-occupancy agreement.

Eremita did not acquire the store’s liquor license, he said.

Eremita, a Staten Island resident and interior designer now appearing in a sibling rivalry show on HGTV called ‘Brother vs. Brother” – he’s on Team Drew – has been on a mini buying spree downtown. Sixteen months ago, he bought the former Fameabilia building at 42 Monmouth Street for $900,000, according to Monmouth County property records.

The building, vacated by Fameabilia in late 2008, won approval for a 162-seat restaurant, in May, 2013, but remains vacant. A deal with prospective tenant who wanted to put an Indian restaurant in the space didn’t pan out, Eremita tells Retail Churn.

As for his latest acquisition, at 1 Broad, Eremita is hoping for high-end retail.

“I’d love to to get the likes of a Gucci or Louis Vuitton in here,” he said. “These are the kinds of businesses that should be in Red Bank.”