UPDATE, POLL: Improvements Needed at Shari's Building Were Too Cost-Prohibitive, Company Tell Paper

UPDATE, 1:35 p.m., 3/24/12

The News Tribune's Kathleen Cooper got a comment from Michael Kiriazis, the vice president of marketing for Shari’s, regarding its University Place closure earlier this week:

Quite honestly, the cost of these improvements were prohibitive, based on the location’s sales.

Click here to read the full post and statement.

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Over the weekend, Shari's Restaurant officially closed its doors in University Place.

However, it's unclear what business will replace it.

The 24-hour chain diner, located in the Green Firs Village Shopping Center, had operated for two decades. However, plans to replace the restaurant with a new Chase Bank had been on the books for almost a year.

After Patch initially ran this story Tuesday night, alert user Kirk Cobain commented that the bank's move was all but dead.

"Chase pulled out of the deal three weeks ago," the user wrote. "New drive-through Starbucks will probably be built there soon."

Then, we heard from David Swindale with the City of University Place, who confirmed as much.

"(Green Firs developer) Nat Franklin informed the City that Chase Bank is no longer interested in this site," Swindale wrote. "According to Mr. Franklin no explanation was provided by Chase."

So, it's unclear what's coming. What is clear is what's gone.

The main obstacle to any drive-through business moving into that building was the city's ban on drive-through businesses in its Town Center area, 35th Street West to 44th Street West, a product of the original vision for the Town Center project that called for making the area pedestrian-friendly.

However, the University Place City Council to allow drive-throughs in Green Firs on the west side of Bridgeport, as well as in the Albertsons shopping center on the east side.

Earlier this month, University Place Patch Facebook user Dogolo-Fenwick Laurie posted the following message along with a picture of a sign posted on the restaurant's door (see the picture in the media gallery):

"Heard that the Sharis on Bridgepot and 40th is closing March 18th due to the fact that the owner wants to put a Chase Bank there. Really who needs Chase!"

The sign on Shari's door read: "Going, But Not Gone. Thank you for your 20 years of patronage. We will be closing March 18th."

Then on Tuesday, Patch blogger Randy Walden posted the following message on our shout-out board:

"Shari's is CLOSED! Sign on the door, said, "thanks so much, we are closed."

I drove by there today and, sure enough, the place looked empty. There was a sign posted on the door that Randy wrote about.

And with that Shari's presence in University Place is officially done. The Oregon-based chain - which closed a location last year in Tacoma - still has two locations in our neighboring city, just not in University Place.

So, we ask you University Place Patch users, are you bummed that Shari's is no longer around? Take our poll and tell us in the comments below.