Kendall's Ace Hardware on St. Paul's East Side is getting new digs only blocks away from its current location at Payne and Maryland avenues.
Soon, it'll start construction of a $1.4 million two-story building that will closely resemble its old home, according to Janelle Tummel, a spokesperson for the city of St. Paul.
The store will take up .8 acres at Payne and Phalen avenues. Its footprint will allow for the lot's remaining 1.8 acres to get developed further down the line, she says.
Kendall's Ace Hardware had to move because of a Ramsey County project to widen the road at its current location. The building, which has long been home to community-oriented hardware stores, will be demolished, she says.
"The community and the city, and the current owners wanted to keep a local hardware store in the neighborhood," she says. "So they worked together to find a solution to make sure they're able to stay here and be successful."
In this case, the hardware store is the "heart of the neighborhood," where the owners' whole family works. "They're members of the community and they know their neighbors who come and go," she says.
A story in the East Side Review News describes the store as a friendly, "full-service" place, where people can get free popcorn or expert help with hardware questions.
"[The owner] is committed to keeping jobs in the neighborhood and growing the community," she says.
It was important to the city to preserve the business because, "It's about continuing to spur economic development along major corridors in the city," Tummel says, adding that Ward 6 City Councilmember Dan Bostrom was very involved in the project.
Source: Janelle Tummel, city of St. Paul
Writer: Anna Pratt