Big Lots on Tunnel Road set to close. When, what are plans? Here's what we know
ASHEVILLE - The Big Lots on Tunnel Road at the Innsbruck Mall will see its final Christmas holiday this year.
That's according to Big Lots spokesperson Josh Chaney, who said in an email to the Citizen Times that the big box discount store at 85 Tunnel Road will close by the end of January 2024.
"Consistent with standard retail practices, we review our store footprint on an ongoing basis to make sure we’re best positioned to serve our customers and our business. Sometimes this process results in store closings or relocations," Chaney said.
Big Lots did not immediately respond to questions regarding the number of employees at the Tunnel Road location or whether employees will receive severance after the closure.
Big Lots also has locations in Hendersonville, Arden and Weaverville.
"We are grateful for all our area customers and invite them to continue shopping our nearby Weaverville or Arden stores and online," Chaney said.
The Innsbruck Mall, at 85 Tunnel Road, is owned by Sky King Inc., a subsidiary company of Ingles Markets LLC. The 1965 mall was purchased by Sky King in 2020 for $8.3 million after the mall was sold by the Brendle family, who had previously owned the location.
It was first known as the "Tunnel Road Shopping Center" prior to being remodeled in 1977, when it's name was changed to the "Innsbruck Mall," according to prior Citizen Times reporting.
The Citizen Times reached out to Ingles Markets CFO Pat Jackson about future plans for the 213,000-square-foot location, along with the Big Lots storefront, but did not receive a response before deadline.
In Buncombe County, Ingles Markets and its subsidiary companies own a little over 400 acres of mostly commercial property, according to Buncombe County tax records reported by the Citizen Times. The collective holdings are tax appraised at around $275 million, according to the Buncombe County property record system.
As for future plans for the Innsbruck Mall, City Planner Will Palmquist confirmed that no permits or projects have been submitted for the location.
"I do not see any active development/zoning permits in the vicinity of Innsbruck Mall," Palmquist said in an email to the Citizen Times.
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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Big Lots store on Tunnel Road Asheville set to close
