Friends Of Deceased Business Owner Hope To Preserve Her Legacy

Business Owners said they fought to save a business in downtown Norman but unfortunately, they had to let it go.

For the past year, the corner of Main Street and Webster was the Cookie Cottage. A Norman staple Bethany Grove said her dear friend Shannon Hanchett loved.

“Everyone that she ever met, I know they felt so close to her,” Grove said.

Now the cottage is vacant, it's been that way since late November. Hanchett was arrested and placed in the Cleveland County Detention Center, where she died 12 days later. The Medical Examiner has not released a cause for her death.

Friends of Hanchett are working to preserve her legacy.

“We wanted to bring Shannon’s cookies into a space that could also sell other products by Norman makers and provide job opportunities for residents of our community that struggle to find employment,” Kate Bierman, Co-owner of the Yellow Dog said.

They want to renew the lease at the building. The landlord posted on social media saying he's looking for a tenant.

“We knew that if that space ended up being anything other than Shannon’s legacy that was going to be painful for the community because the community hasn't been able to get any kind of justice for what happened to Shannon,” Kate Bierman said.

Bierman and Grove picked up an application, but the terms of the agreement weren't in their favor.

“The rent was raised significantly by $550. It went from $1,000 to $1550 for 400 square feet,” Grove said.

Grove said this is disappointing, but they'll take their business elsewhere.

“Shannon wouldn't want us to just stop because of a building so we're looking at different avenues to be able to team up with some other women actually here in downtown Norman,” Grove said.

The plan for now is to sell Hanchett's cookies at the Yellow Dog coffee shop this summer.

News 9 reached out to the landlord for a comment and I have not heard back.