Bobby's Reno

Via the Church Avenue BID:

Bobby's Department Store has been a fixture on Church Avenue for as long as anyone can remember; selling clothing, housewares, furniture, health/beauty items and a variety of other product lines.  In February, the 12,000 square foot store located at 1628 Church Avenue was closed to start a complete renovation. 
"The store served us well for a long time, but the time had come to do update the look" said Leon Mann, co-owner of Bobby's and Chairman of the Church Avenue BID.  He added, "There is never a good time to close, but we had been working on plans for a few years.  With business as it is, we decided to go for it while the economy continues to recover."

The store will be completely renovated, including a new floor, electrical and lighting system, displays, check outs and customer restrooms.  Expect to see something similar to the renovation of Bobby's I across the street at 1601 Church Avenue which was completed three years ago in 2006.  A portion of the basement will be converted to a sales area and the plans include adding an elevator for customers.  The exterior of the building will also get a complete make over with a new façade, storefront and security gates.

The $2.0 million project is currently in the demolition phase and is expected to take a year and half to complete.  In order to minimize any inconvenience to local residents, Mr. Mann has asked their contractors take steps to minimize dust and remove demolition containers on a daily basis.

"We are thrilled with Bobby's reinvestment in Church Avenue" adds Mark Dicus, Executive Director of the Church BID.  "We hope this significant commitment encourages other property owners and merchants to invest in the Avenue."  During the renovation, Bobby's will keep all of their departments open but downsize them to fit in smaller areas.

Bobby's Department Store first opened its doors in 1976 at 1704 Church Avenue, just a few doors down from their current location.  It was started by Leon Mann and his brother Jack, who both continue to run the business today.  The Church Avenue locations at 1601 and 1616/1628 Church Avenue employ over one hundred employees.  Bobby's has two other locations on Utica Avenue and in Elizabeth, New Jersey.