BRISTOL, Va. — A Hobby Lobby store will open next summer at The Falls development in Bristol, Virginia, company officials confirmed Wednesday.
The Oklahoma-based national arts and crafts retailer plans to build a 55,000-square-foot store at the retail center near INTERSTATE 81’s Exit 5. It is expected to open in August 2018.
“We have had our eye on Bristol for a while and believe this will be an excellent location for us,” said Bob Miller, corporate communications director.
Hobby Lobby will be the 10th tenant to commit to the retail center, which is being developed as a public-private partnership between the city and INTERSTATE Realty. The center features anchors Cabela’s and Lowe’s along with Buffalo Wild Wings, Freddy’s, Sheetz and Zaxby’s.
City and INTERSTATE officials could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
A 20,000-square-foot ALDI grocery store is expected to open in November on a 2.5-acre site just off Lee Highway near the center’s planned second entrance, and a Tru by Hilton hotel is still in the works.
Hobby Lobby considers a number of factors when making a decision to build a new store, including population, traffic patterns and areas located in community and neighborhood settings.
Hobby Lobby currently operates nine stores in Virginia with the closest store locally in Kingsport, Tennessee.
Each store offers more than 70,000 crafting and home decor products, including floral, fabric, needle art, custom framing, home accents, wedding supplies and scrapbooking.
According to Miller, the store is expected to create 30 to 50 jobs, and pay $15.35 per hour for full-time associates and $10.45 for part-time associates.
