Today’s article about the Home Depot that opened in Bed Stuy last year creates the impression that business is booming. “It’s excitement all day long,” said Ricky Campbell, the manager of the store. Personally, we’re thrilled the store opened–no more shlepps over to Sunset Park (except to restock the propane for the grill), but we were surprised at the description of how busy the store is. Frankly, we’ve always been struck at how un-crowded the store has been when we’ve been there. The article makes a lot of how the store is conveniently located smack in the middle of the brownstone renovation renaissance, citing owners from nearby Hancock Street as well as Crown Heights and Prospect Heights (home to one guy who estimated dropping $20K on supplies for his reno so far). Local leaders grouse that Home Depot failed to hire some of their referrals–but the store claims to hire 70 to 80 percent of its employees from the neighborhoods where the stores are located. In addition, some local paint and hardware stores report having suffered since the bib-box arrival. Net-net, we’ve gotta believe the store has had, and will continue to have, a positive impact on the surrounding area.
Big-Box Store in Tough Area [NY Times]