2 vacant Muncie storefronts getting closer to re-opening as Old Navy, Ashley Furniture

MUNCIE, Ind. — From furnishings to a well-liked garments model, two vacant storefronts will soon be filled with significant-identify companies.

© Charlotte Stefanski/The Star Push
Outdated Navy is preparing to transfer into its new Muncie site at the Muncie Plaza on Princeton Avenue.

Additional than a calendar year back, the Metropolis of Muncie Fb web site announced Old Navy would be returning to Muncie. The retailer experienced at the time occupied a area in Muncie Shopping mall, but shut there about 10 many years back.

While COVID-19 appeared to slow down the opening procedure at its new location at the Muncie Plaza strip mall across Princeton Avenue from Muncie Mall, factors feel to be buying up all over again.

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In latest months, crews have been doing the job on the inside of the building. Old Navy posters and window decals are now visible on the entrance doorway and home windows, and on Friday early morning, it appeared fixtures for products were being inside the storefront. 

© Charlotte Stefanski/The Star Push
Crews are making ready Outdated Navy’s new Muncie spot. In recent weeks, signs and decals have appeared in home windows.

The locale was originally filled by an Office Max, which shut in 2006. MC Sports activities opened there a year afterwards, and shut in the summer months of 2016. Since then, seasonal shops like Spirit Halloween have employed the area.

© Charlotte Stefanski/The Star Press
Ashley Furniture will be having around the previous Toys R Us retailer on North Morrison Street.

The Metropolis of Muncie Facebook website page not long ago posted about the transformation of the place, asserting the retail store would be opening shortly. However, no opening date was declared.

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Aged Navy experienced not responded to requests for confirmation or much more information as of Friday afternoon.

Ashley Furniture transferring into Toys R Us

Muncie’s previous Toys R Us locale, which has been sitting vacant considering the fact that June 2018, will shortly be dwelling to a around the globe home furniture chain.

An Ashley Furniture HomeStore is set to move in early this summer, explained Richard Gill, proprietor of the upcoming Muncie area. 

Building crews are presently doing work within of the creating, getting completely ready to spot and polish concrete flooring and set up partitions. Electricians have been doing the job on the new lighting process. 

Gill stated it was quite a journey in removing what Toys R Us had still left, primarily when it came to shelving, which was donated to the Muncie Mission.

“I signify, it was form of like a time capsule in there when I took the building,” Gill said. “The computer systems ended up however in there, all the desks, the shelving, everything but the items.”

At the time open, the furnishings keep will utilize involving 12 and 15 people today.

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Gill is no stranger to the household furniture organization. His father and uncle founded Gill Bros. Furniture in 1966, with the 1st locale in Albany. The enterprise was offered to Gill and his cousin, Steven, in 1991. Nine decades later on, the Muncie area on McGalliard Road made its debut.

With his cousin retiring last yr, Gill has come to be the sole proprietor, and is searching ahead to possessing the Ashley spot as properly.

Even though they’re entirely independent providers, Gill stated it can be not unusual for an operator of a area household furniture retail store to also have an Ashley Household Keep when they’re in the similar city. An case in point would be Klopfenstein Furniture in Fort Wayne.

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“Ashley does the merchandising for us,” Gill said. “They do a ton of marketplace exploration and they seriously enable us to be able to put the merchandise on the flooring that is most suited to the geographical area.”

While Gill Bros. Furniture and other suppliers carry some Ashley items, Gill said the Ashley HomeStore products are exclusive to the firm.

The new shop will also offer more “common pricing,” Gill reported. Even though Gill Bros. Household furniture starts off at center pricing up to better, Ashley HomeStore will have extra inexpensive parts.

“Ashley has just seriously tremendous kind of Middle The united states charges and values,” Gill claimed. “So, it really is likely to possibly be a a lot more youthful client than what would commonly store at Gill Brothers.”

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While COVID-19 has experienced an effect on both equally the development and the household furniture supply chains, Gill hopes to keep a comfortable opening for the retail outlet close to July 1.

“The style that their designers came up with for it is just genuinely stunning. The entire front of the creating is receiving completely ready to completely transform alone,” Gill stated. “The interior is heading to be beautiful with polished concrete flooring, and there’s heading to be large wonderful company desk in the center of it. We are going to have some truly, really really shows.”

Charlotte Stefanski is a reporter at the Star Push. Contact her at 765-283-5543, [email protected] or comply with her on twitter @CharStefanski

This report originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: 2 vacant Muncie storefronts getting nearer to re-opening as Old Navy, Ashley Furniture