Two Toledo Kmarts to Close

there won't be much of anything left in those neighborhoods

Yeah, both are kind of dead zones at the moment.

The one on Reynolds is pretty dead, and very out of date. all the same it's sad to see jobs lost and yet another husk of a building sitting around over there. That area is a growing blight and deadzone.

While I hate to see any business close, the Kmart on Reynolds was dirty and just plain gross. I avoided it at all costs.

I shopped there for drug, health and beauty items. They were considerably cheaper than most places. It wasnt a good location, especially since Southwyck's closing. The store did need updating.

I remember when the K-Mart opened on Manhattan Blvd around '66 or '67. I used to shop there all the time for work clothes and some casual stuff as well as at Bargin City in the same area.

It's a shame. I wonder if store theft had anything to do with it.

That is going to be one big dead spot when Kmart closes.

I'm glad the one on Alexis wasn't on the list - we still go there occasionally. It is in decent shape. I wouldn't go to the one on Reynolds or Manhattan, so if the Alexis store had closed I would have taken my business elsewhere.

Kind of amazed that the Kmart on Reynolds lasted as long as it did. Stepping in there was like walking back into 1982.

What to do? How about the City of Toledo buy the buildings, tear them down and wait for new developers to come begging to buy? That has worked before, hasn't it?

I'm sensing some new dollar stores in the making.

The old Central location will be redeveloped soon. However, I'm sure that area had much more redevelopment potential than Reynolds or Manhattan.

I would personally love to see the Reynolds location become a super-sized Mexican restaurant.

Attention K-Margarita shoppers brown bean special in isle 5.

Seems funny to me that Sears/Kmart never figured out what almost every other retail establishment had known and been doing for decades - remodel and build new facilities and your revenues will go up. Gas station/carry outs, fast food restaurants, car dealerships, etc., all see a substantial up tick in sales when they either build new or remodel. McDonalds on HollandSylvania moved literally next door, Meijer on central remodeled whenWalmart went in years ago down the street. Ther are a lot of examples of this attracting more shoppers and retaining old shoppers, meaning more revenue and Sears/Kmart does not routinely do it that I can tell. The Sears in Adrian is the same store that I remember from 30+ years ago when I was a kid.

Kind of amazed that the Kmart on Reynolds lasted as long as it did. Stepping in there was like walking back into 1982.

For that to be 100% true, they'd have to re-install the little arcade area they had at the back of the store near the portrait studio, featuring Pac Man, Defender, and (post-1982) Spy Hunter. Always begged Mom for a dollar to play in there while she shopped for whatever.

As someone who grew up very close to Reynolds in the 1970s/80s, it is absolutely stunning and shameful to see a once thriving corridor literally evaporating.

oldhometown - I grew up near glendale and eastgate in that time. Was that close to where you grew up?

I'm a Reynolds Corner's girl. Boy, the changes I have seen.

no kidding about Reynolds!!! My aunt lived on Culley in Holland when it was a dead-end and we used to go past the Jesses James drive-in to go visit when I was 10-12 yrs old or so, 1961-63, prolly. It was the country to an OWE kid!!!!

I would shop at Sears as often as I would Lowes or Home Depot if they added clothing lines. The mix just doesn't work for me. Must be a female thing.

Molsonator:

Same area. I was on Cass Rd.

Old Glendale School? Or St. Pats? Glendale was awesome until it moved to Cass Rd.

South Reynolds Road began to decline after the Southwyck Mall closed. There was a general suspicion that the newly-built Shops at Fallen Timbers, about 5 1/2 miles to the south, would cause shoppers to brighten up to he prospect of fresh, new enterprise. Meanwhile, those so-called "dollar stores" started popping up all over town. Just how well Fallen Timbers is doing today, I don't know.

I grew up off Angola and now live in Regan's Woods. It will suck to see this go and it's only a mile walk from my house. But in fairness i've only gone in the place 2-3 times per year for the 10 years I lived in the neighborhood. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

We still have toys are us across the street.

As for the mall, Dillard killed it by keeping any other retailers from moving in till Fallen Timber was built. Now FT has LOTS of empty store fronts.

Sensor, I don't know what Fallen Timbers you shop at, but the one I shop at doesn't have "LOTS of empty store fronts." I think Levis Commons has more empty spaces than Fallen Timbers.

Really? I'm going to say 10-15 empty spaces. They just do a great job of hiding them.

I'll do a count next time I'm out there.

I drove through Levis Commons about 7:30 Thursday night and noticed a bunch of empty storefronts. They have even turned a couple of the streets over to the runners, with signs for the four wheelers to yield to them. I guess when Andrew Z's shut down, there was no reason to go anymore.

This move was inevitable. Like the article mentioned, K-mart did the worst job of the bunch in updating its stores. People who used to shop there probably now shop at Meijer, Target and Wal-Mart for similar items. A big box store needs to be updated periodically.

Despite the loss of jobs, the Reynolds Road store closing could have a long term benefit. The parcel is big - at least a few acres - and is the sea of asphalt type that is begging for redevelopment. It sits down the road from the old Southwyck property and nearly adjacent to the abandoned motel, and that will free up a lot of land if and when a developer eventually comes along.

Empty storefronts at Fallen Timbers will start to fill once Phase Two gets going and the surrounding area is developed. The new mall road just opened a couple weeks ago.

Levis Commons benefitted Andrew Z, not the other way around. They did not want him there from the start. It was not their target market.

I wonder how much Sears regrets ever buying Kmart? It never made much sense to me when they bought it. It definitely hurt Sears and I just hope that Sears isn't adversely affected. I'm a huge fan of craftsman tools and generally like the store. I guess time will tell.

Kmart bought sears, not the other way around...

While I don't doubt theft is an issue at the Manhattan store, I'd say the main reason this one is on the list is poor management. I live very close to that store and there really isn't much else in the area similar in offerings so out of necessity I shopped there. Yes, past tense. After enough times of being disgusted and disappointed I made a formal complaint about how awful the store was being operated only to learn that everyone from the store manager to the district manager really could care less how bad the store was since it was in an urban area. It sucks that jobs will be lost as a result of this and the community will lose the availability of those products sold there but really I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. Also a shame that this is yet another company leaving that shopping center. The old Kroger location still sits vacant and with this I'd imagine other stores are about to follow.

I believe the first K-mart here was on the north-west corner of W. Central & N. Holland-Sylvania. In its early days it had a cafeteria with realy good hot food at reasonable prices. Eventually the cafeteria closed. Later the popcorn machine up in front was eliminated.
For over ten years, the former K-mart and former Foodtown store that was adjacent, have been up for sale or lease.

flinty, the former KMart location at Central and Holland Sylvania is being redeveloped as a Carmax used car superstore.

Here is one of the articles about it:

http://www.toledoblade.com/Real-Estate/2011/08/16/CarMax-plans-local-store.html

Wow...kmart did buy Sears! Wtf....must made a lot of $ from those blue light specials to afford that sale ha.

Kmart filed bankrupcy and Sears didn't, when Kmart came out of it they were financially stronger and bought out Sears.

I grew up near the Kmart on Manhattan (anyone remember the whale in the semi truck?) and worked at the one on Central when I was in college. The Central Ave. Kmart had great traffic until Walmart moved in, and I'll agree, it was in serious need of updating. They probably could have remained viable if they'd put anything into the store.

It was a great place to work as a college student, though. And I still shop at the one on Alexis.

I was out at Fallen Timbers tonight... Counted 15 empty spots...

sensor, i don't understand. what do you mean?

Earlier in the thread I mentioned that Fallen Timbers had lots of closed stores/empty store fronts. I was challenged on my accuracy, so I counted the empty stores. 15is a lot to me...

I doubt K-mart closing will benifit Fallen Timbers. Meijers and Wal-mart will benifit however,

Having a WalMart and Meijer so close probably didn't help the Reynolds Rd KMart location. Especially since both of those stores are newer and better maintained.

There was talk of KMART closing the Navarre location because they purchased property further east on Navarre by the WalMart to build a new store...does not exactly coincide with the recent actions unless the Navarre location is a more profitable location than one might think