A long-time tenant of the Williamsburg Shopping Center is moving into a new spot.
Peninsula Ace Hardware will be moving across Monticello Avenue into what is now the Monticello Shopping Center, according to longtime owner Terry Deaver.
He expects to reopen in the spaces currently occupied by the CHKD thrift store and City Nails.
Ace is currently located behind the Food Lion in the Williamsburg Shopping Center.
Once they’re settled, Deaver said he thinks the business, which he has owned since 1989, will do better. In their new location, Ace’s storefront will face Monticello Avenue rather than being tucked away behind a supermarket as it is today.
“The visibility we have here is pretty poor,” Deaver said. “When we opened, we had a much better visibility toward Richmond Road than we do today. You’d be surprised how many people don’t know we’re here.”
Both the Williamsburg and Monticello Shopping Centers are being redeveloped into Midtown Row by property owner Broad Street Realty, which purchased both centers in 2017.
Midtown Row is a mixed-use project that will offer ground-level retail and restaurants with apartments located on the floors above. Broad Street has begun adding and subtracting tenants from the two shopping centers.
“Both the shopping centers are in a good area but both have been allowed to fall into disrepair,” Deaver said, adding that the redevelopment will increase the vitality of both shopping centers.
Additionally, while Ace’s new space would be about the same size as their current space, Deaver expects the new layout will prove advantageous.
The business’ spot in the Williamsburg Shopping Center was once a bowling alley. While they’ve made it work, Deaver said the floor plan — in particular the locations of bathrooms and offices — are less than ideal for a hardware store.
“We’re going to design it in such a way as to make better use of the space we have than we do now,” Deaver said.
The new Ace will have new fixtures, signage and point of sale counters, and some of their more popular departments like Lawn & Garden will be expanded to fit demand.
Deaver said he has not signed a new lease but expects the move to take place during the summer.
Broad Street Director of Marketing Brynn Jacoby said the details of the new lease have not yet been ironed out and Broad Street has nothing to announce.
“We are working with Ace, and are absolutely confident that they’re staying in Midtown Row,” Jacoby said in an email.
She added CHKD will be “moving on,” but they are working to keep City Nails as tenants.
