Michaels Stores looking to move into Towne Square North
Jul. 12—Arts and craft lovers may soon have a new place to shop in Owensboro.
Michaels Stores Inc., which calls itself "the largest arts and crafts retail chain in North America," has submitted plans to the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission to renovate the 22,620-square-foot former Books-A-Million location in Towne Square North for one of its stores.
But it hasn't sought a building permit yet.
The company did not respond to questions about how soon the store might be open.
In 1985, Wal-Mart moved into that space in Towne Square North.
It moved in 1992 to its current location and four years later, Books-A-Million moved in, giving Owensboro two chains selling new books and periodicals.
Waldenbooks in Towne Square Mall closed in 2004 and Books-A-Million closed in January 2020.
That space has been empty since then.
Ironically, Hobby Lobby, one of Michaels prime competitors, moved out of Towne Square North in 2018 to a new location in Gateway Commons.
Michaels is a privately held chain of more than 1,250 stores in 49 states and Canada.
The closest to Owensboro is in Evansville.
It also has locations in Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Florence, Frankfort, Lexington, Louisville, Newport, Paducah and Richmond.
The stores specialize in arts, crafts, framing, floral and wall décor and merchandise for makers and do-it-yourself home decorators.
The company was founded in 1973 by Michael J. Dupey in Dallas.
It reported revenue of about $5.27 billion in 2021.
The stores were acquired by venture capital firm Apollo Global Management in April 2021 and were taken private.
The chain reported roughly 44,000 employees at the time of the sale.
Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com.
