Furniture store relocates, new businesses open
May 11, 2010
Leathers Home Furnishings & Accessories, the longtime Northwest Gilman Boulevard furniture store, will soon relocate to the former Linens-N-Things storefront in Pickering Place.
Owner Mitch Setlow said he plans to open the new Leathers by May 15 and, for the next several weeks, run a closeout sale from both the Pickering Place and Gilman Square locations. Setlow plans to close the original Leathers in June.
“We’re not going, we’re growing,” he said.
The store will depart the 8,000-square-foot Gilman Square location after 14 years for the 37,500-square-foot Linens-N-Things space. Linens-N-Things closed after liquidators shut down the bankrupt chain in late 2008.
Leathers, as the name implies, offers high-end leather furniture. Setlow said the store also plans to offer mattresses and bedroom furniture, dining room pieces and additional accessories in the larger space.
The store planted a red-and-black balloon on the store roof to announce the closure. Expect to see the balloon on the roof at Pickering Place, too, as the relocated Leathers welcomes shoppers.
New, relocated businesses boost Issaquah economy
May 4, 2010
The local economy has improved since last year, but increased retail offerings and high-profile construction projects could help the city rebound in the months ahead.
Economic Development Manager Dan Trimble said the city had progressed beyond the economic doldrums of last year. Joe’s — the longtime sporting goods retailer — closed as the city grappled with dual real estate and building construction slowdowns brought on by the recession.
“In 2010, we started to see the economic recovery start to take hold,” Trimble told City Council members April 27. “We’ve had some new retail moving in, both big and small. Construction activity has been returning.”
Swedish Medical Center started construction on a campus in the Issaquah Highlands late last year, and Best Buy and Sports Authority will open Issaquah stores in the months ahead. Sports Authority will occupy the old Joe’s space, and Best Buy will fill vacant space in the bustling East Lake Center shopping complex anchored by Fred Meyer and The Home Depot.
Sports Authority should generate $85,000 to $100,000 annually in sales tax revenue for the city; Best Buy should pull in $100,000 to $200,000, city Finance Director Jim Blake said in a May 1 conference call with council members.
Retail giants plan Issaquah stores
February 16, 2010
Sports Authority, Best Buy coming soon
Sports Authority will open a store in the Northwest Gilman Boulevard space last occupied by Joe’s — the defunct sporting goods chain — by late spring.
Meanwhile, Best Buy plans to open a store in the former Pacific Fabrics space along East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast.
Best Buy — headquartered in Richfield, Minn. — plans to open the Issaquah store in the fall or early next year, company spokeswoman Jill Nezworski said. City Senior Planner Jerry Lind said city officials continue to work alongside Best Buy to resolve signage issues before the electronics retailer opens a store there.
Sports Authority — based in Englewood, Colo. — operates several stores in the Puget Sound region, with the Crossroads Mall store in Bellevue as the closest outpost to Issaquah.
Sports Authority gears up for spring opening; Best Buy plans to open by next winter
February 10, 2010
UPDATED — 12:08 p.m. Feb. 10, 2010
Sports Authority will open a store in the Northwest Gilman Boulevard space last occupied by Joe’s — the defunct sporting goods chain — by late spring.
Meanwhile, Best Buy has expressed interest in the former Pacific Fabrics space along East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast. City Senior Planner Jerry Lind said city officials continue to work alongside Best Buy to resolve signage issues before the electronics retailer opens a store there.
Best Buy — headquartered in Richfield, Minn. — plans to open the Issaquah store in the fall or early next year, spokeswoman Jill Nezworski said Wednesday.
Sports Authority operates several stores in the Puget Sound region, with the Crossroads Mall store in Bellevue as the closest outpost to Issaquah. The chain is based in Englewood, Colo.
Top 10 news stories of 2009
December 29, 2009
Sisters Jennifer Davies, Julianne Long and Mindy Heintz (from left) retrieve belongings Jan. 8 from the toppled guesthouse at the home of their parents, Jack and Karen Brooks, beside Issaquah Creek in the 23300 block of Southeast May Valley Road. — By Greg Farrar
Growth slowed and the economy cooled throughout 2009. The watershed moments in Issaquah hinged on expansion and recession. Leaders broke ground for a major new employer, even while other businesses left town for good.
Issaquah began the first decade of a new century as a fast-growing city, a title the city held for years. As 2009 reached a close, however, officials pared the size of government to face the new economic reality.
From January floods to record July heat and brutal December cold, 2009 was jam-packed, but the year was never dull.
Reserve dollars will be used to bridge city budget gap
August 4, 2009
City officials will dip into a rainy day fund to close a $3.6 million budget gap, and officials could turn to employee layoffs, furloughs and program cuts to prevent another shortfall next year. Read more
Press Editorial
June 30, 2009
Have we seen the end of the big wave of business closures in Issaquah? We can only hope so. Read more
More anchor businesses quit
April 13, 2009
Dale Timmons, of Issaquah, purchases a case of motor oil at Joe’s on Northwest Gilman Boulevard on April 10, the day of the liquidation sale announcement. By Greg Farrar
On the first day of its going-out-of-business sale, Joe’s was packed with bargain hunters angling for deals on skis, tents and other sporting goods.
Customers jammed the Northwest Gilman Boulevard store April 10, a day after Gordon Brothers Group, a Boston-based liquidator, announced it would close the chain. Joe’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early March. Executives hoped to find a buyer for the beleaguered chain, but only liquidators submitted bids.
Frank Morton, a principal at Gordon Brothers, said the Issaquah store and 30 others would close after all of the merchandise is sold. Given the popularity of the merchandise, Morton estimated the liquidation sale would be complete in “weeks rather than months.” The store opened in August 1999. Read more
Joe’s to close as soon as merchandise is gone
April 13, 2009
NEW — 10 a.m. April 13, 2009
On the first day of its going-out-of-business sale, Joe’s was packed with bargain hunters angling for deals on skis, tents and other sporting goods.
Customers jammed the Northwest Gilman Boulevard store Friday, a day after Gordon Brothers Group, a Boston-based liquidator, announced it would close the chain. Joe’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early March. Executives hoped to find a buyer for the beleaguered chain, but only liquidators submitted bids.
