Shopping center will undergo significant layout changes to accommodate new retailer

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

The location is now set and the work scheduled to begin as Harbor Freight has found a home in Big Creek Crossing, 2918 Vine.

“It has taken us quite a while, but it finally comes to fruition,” said James Younger, Big Creek Crossing property manager.

The company announced in April a location was scheduled to come to Hays. 

Moving the retailer into the shopping center will require major changes to the facility with the retailer moving into a 15,364-square-foot space on the south side of the facility.

Construction is set to begin June 3.

“We will losing both entrances on the south end … access to Harbor Freight will only be the exterior facing Vine,” said Branson Hoffman, Big Creek Crossing marketing director.

“It definitely is a difficult thing, but we felt it best to serve an exterior entrance at this time. … It serves us a better option for future development,” Younger said.

Moving the entrances and changing the flow of traffic will be a challenge, but there will be signs around the facility to help make sure people know where to go, Younger said.

Restrooms and office space will be permanently relocated on the north side of the building, a move seen as positive by the center’s management.

“It gives us a little bit more of a better location,” Younger said.

During construction, a temporary restroom will be placed in the former Vanity location, while the new office and restrooms are being built in the former Regis space, Younger said.

But the moves are seen as generally positive, if inconvenient in the short term.

“You can expect little things like that, but it’s nothing that we are not able to work around,” Younger said, noting occasionally construction may impact traffic flow.

“While there may be a few growing pains here and there, we definitely think that the pros in this situation outweigh the cons.”

The addition will also create a major change to the layout of the facility, but Younger said it will be beneficial to Big Creek Crossing.

“We are adding a little more value to our shopping center. As anybody can tell you, the retail environment has been evolving and has been changing here over the past decade and with those changes we are adopting as well,” he said.

According to the Harbor Freight, the company is currently adding two new stores every week and Younger said it doesn’t just bring value to Big Creek Crossing, but to the community as well.

“We are extremely excited about Harbor Freight moving in. The fact that we are bringing more employment opportunities, more tax revenue to the city is something that we like to do. It’s definitely a big deal.”

Younger hopes to the location will drive even more regional traffic to Hays.

“We feel this entity is something that would be in high demand here in western Kansas,” he said. “We feel that there is going to be immense support from the public.”

Other Big Creek Crossing tenants are eager to see how this will increase traffic to the facility, even as it is a departure from what they are familiar with.

“Our tenants are excited about another tenant moving in,” Younger said. It is a little unorthodox compared to what they are used to but, “It is our brave step into the ever-evolving world of the shopping center.”

This announcement is another feather in the cap in the rehabilitation of the center in recent years.

“When we really look at how far we have been able to come here, especially in the past two to three years, between the Starbucks and the HaysMed location that we have built,” Younger said. “The first Glik’s in the state was opened in our center back in 2016, with the addition of Gordman’s, the addition of Dollar Tree, now the addition of Harbor Freight, we are definitely making progress and we are very excited about that, in a community mindset as well, just being able to bring in that extra tax revenue, to bring in that extra employment and extra places of draw for individuals out in western Kansas to stop here in Hays. That’s a very big win for everybody.

“We definitely take it as a victory, but there is a lot more work that we recognize that we need to do,” he added. “We will take a moment and celebrate this addition to our center, but the work definitely goes on.”

“The 15,000-square-foot store will stock tools and accessories in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools, and more,” the company said in a news release Tuesday.

“The timeline is tentative, but we are extremely hopeful for a July 30 grand opening,” Younger said.

More information about Harbor Freight can be found at harborfreight.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.