BATON ROUGE - A snoball stand that's been in Central since 1985 closed Sunday, but owners and customers hope they will be able to re-open soon. 

Due to a new development, Ms. V's Snoball Stand owners were notified that they needed to vacate the property by the end of April.

“You have a main road right here coming into the Tractor Supply, as well as a main highway here, so of course. This is a family-oriented business, we get a lot of children around here so with the increase of traffic it is a safety concern,” owner Elisha Wood said.

The snoball stand has been a staple of the community for decades. Owner Elisha Wood worked for Ms. V when she was 13 years old.

“It means the world to me, Janice didn’t have children so my brother and I ran the stand for her. We were very close to her and this stand has always meant a great deal to me so to keep the business going and keep the name was very important,” Wood said.

After announcing to social media, people were shaken by the news and reached out to city officials about their favorite snoball stand.

“There’s certain things that we latch onto and things that bring a common good is one of those things, obviously Ms.V’s is one of those institutions that promotes the common good by making people happy,” Central Mayor Wade Evans said.

The owners are hoping to secure a spot in the same shopping center. However, there are some challenges. The stand was there before the city of Central, being grandfathered into existing laws. Now that it’s moving it must first be approved by the planning and zoning committee.

“The board of adjustments typically hears cases and they make their decision based on economic hardship. This is an economic hardship created by the city’s laws, so it’s definitely something that the board should look at," Evans said.

Even though the stand will be in the same shopping center, some guests have mixed emotions about the move.

“It’s very unfortunate, I come here every day after practice and now I have to go all the way to Hooper. I can take a walk here normally but now I have to get in the car and go so it’s very sad,” customer Braelen George said.

“I’m a little upset but I feel like it will be better where the new location is, hopefully, but as long as they open back up again I’m fine,” customer Chloe Richardson said.

Ms. V’s hopes to re-open and continue their long-lasting legacy in their new location, serving snoballs for years to come.

“The best part is when parents come and say ‘I remember my parents bringing me here for a snowball during the summer,’ and now seeing them bring their children, that’s what’s amazing to me,” Wood said.