"I think it's gonna be a good thing for the city itself."
That's the opinion of local author Mike Rizzo regarding Monday’s announcement that Kohl's Department Stores, one of the nation's fastest growing chains, will build its fifth local store but first one within Buffalo city limits.
Mayor Byron Brown, flanked by officials of the Benderson Development Corporation made the announcement that Kohl's will be coming to the Delaware Commons, a collection of reclaimed retail spaces near Delaware and Hertel Avenues in North Buffalo.
Kohl's will tear down a former Ames department store which has been abandoned for five years, and erect an 88,000 square foot store which it hopes to have open before the end of this year.
Rizzo, the author of "Nine Nine Eight: The Glory Days of Buffalo Shopping" told 2 On Your Side you'd have to go back a couple of generations to find the last time a retailer like Kohl's actually built a store within city limits.
"The best I can figure is probably 50 years since a high end department store opened," he said, adding that, "Kohl's is not just another discount store or dollar store. This is a higher end department store which is taking a chance on the city."
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