HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 07-23 Hobby Lobby store to open in maplewood amidst national controversy MAPLEWOOD REVIEW Hobby Lobby store to open in
Maplewood amidst national controversy
Tim aFapklls second Hobby Lobby assistant city manager Lobby.
jUCV'L 3 3014 in the Twin Cities, fol- Melinda Coleman said The store will be
lowing the opening of that the court ruling located in the space
Despite a deluge of a store in Woodbury in and ensuing controversy occupied for many years
news reports and street February. would not have entered by the Larkin Dance
protests following Hobby The franchise as a into city officials'evalu- Studio, which moved
Lobby's landmark U.S. whole has been the cen- ation of Hobby Lobby's into its own building in
Supreme Court decision ter of attention in recent permit applications. Maplewood earlier this
last month,the company weeks after its owners, "We certainly would year.
is marching forward the Green family, won have [still accepted the Schuette said he's
with its expansion plans. a narrow, 5-4, Supreme application]," Cole- received lots of posi-
Most recently, the Court victory. man told the Review in tive comments from the
closely held corporation The Green family an interview last week. Maplewood community
announced it would be argued that being forced "It's not our role to be about this new store.
opening a store in the to provide IUDs and involved in political or "We're hearing a lot
Plaza 3000 strip cen- the morning after pill, cultural concerns. of excitement about it,"
ter near the Maplewood requirements under the "We treat every busi- Schuette said. "People
Mall. Affordable Care Act, ness the same,and want are looking forward to it,
The new craft and went against their even- every business to suc- and we here are excited
gift store is scheduled to gelical Christian beliefs, teed." about it."
open in early October, because they believe The legal organiza- The excitement of
and will become just the such treatments are tan- tion representing Hobby the addition isn't sim-
tamount to abortion. Lobby throughout the ply because of the store
The court ruled that court case was the itself. According to
"closely held" private Becket Fund law firm. reports, Plaza 3000's
companies could refuse It could not be reached vacancy rate will plunge
to cover certain contra- for comment for this from 41 percent to just 2
ception methods if such story,but in the past it percent as a result of the
coverage offends the has stated on its web- store's addition.
owners'religious beliefs. site: "The Green fam- While the rates for
While many people ily believes that'it is by the lease Hobby Lobby
hailed the decision as God's grace and provi- received remain confi-
a victory for religious sion that Hobby Lobby dential,it appears nego-
freedom, hundreds of has endured: tiations took a number
protesters chanted and "Therefore they seek of turns.
waved signs in front of to honor God by'oper- According to reports,
Hobby Lobby stores ating the company in a a large portion of the
across the nation,object- manner consistent with mall's interior hallway
ing to the store's deci- Biblical principles.."' will be eliminated in
sion to exempt specific order create more store
contraceptives from Lots of positive buzz space for the new store.
employees' medical The Plaza 3000 shop- The change created
coverage on religious ping center is owned 10,000 more feet of rent-
grounds. by Azure Properties of able space.
Little Canada. Property The Maplewood store's
City just looking at manager Tom Schuette expected opening date is
nuts and bolts of agreed with Coleman's slated for Oct.1.
application assessment, saying the
Even though the leas- recent news develop- You can reach Tim Fak-
ing agreement for the ments would not have lis at 651-748-7814, at
proposed Maplewood affected Azure's decision tfaklis @lillienews.com,or
store was made in to enter into a leasing on Twitter @tfaklisnews.
early 2014, Maplewood agreement with Hobby