BY BILL FREEHLING
Indianapolis-based appliance and electronics company hhgregg is opening two new stores today in Richmond, and the company is planning a store in Fredericksburg's Central Park.
The company submitted plans last month with Fredericksburg's Building and Development Services department for a store in the former Circuit City location at 1731 Carl D. Silver Parkway. The department approved the plans this week.
The plans call for a revamped exterior and minor changes to the inside of the former Circuit City building. There are spaces for appliances, mattresses, TVs and an assortment of electronic products.
The 33,000-square-foot space has been vacant since Circuit City liquidated its inventory and closed earlier this year. hhgregg has been aggressively targeting former Circuit City locations for its expansion plans in the mid-Atlantic region.
Officials from hhgregg did not specifically address questions about the possible Fredericksburg store, though the company's vice president of marketing, Jeff Pearson, sent The Free Lance-Star a statement about the landscape changing in the consumer electronics industry and the opportunities that has brought about for expansions in Virginia.
"We continue to explore opportunities throughout the state," the statement said.
Kimco Realty Corp. owns the former Circuit City space in Central Park. Company officials could not be reached for comment.
The two stores opening today in Richmond's Short Pump and Chesterfield town centers are hhgregg's first in Virginia. The company also has two stores under construction in the Virginia Beach/Newport News area.
About 100 people have been hired to staff the two Richmond stores, and additional temporary employees have been hired for the holiday season.
Bill Freehling: 540/374-5405
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com