Hobby Lobby moving to Ontario

MANSFIELD - Hobby Lobby is moving from its current 1200 Park Avenue West location to Ontario.

The Hobby Lobby store will be at 909 N. Lexington-Springmill Road, in the former H.H. Gregg store in the Village Square Shopping Center next to Ashley Furniture HomeStore, Ontario Mayor Randy Hutchinson confirmed.

According to Richland County Department of Building Regulations, the owner of the Lexington-Springmill Road building is Loral Ontario Properties LLC (Alan Ratliff), of Wooster.

Alicia Foreman of Hobby Lobby in Oklahoma City, Okla., filled out an application for commercial building plan approval to the City of Ontario.

Foreman requested a zoning permit from the City of Ontario for construction of a 900-square-foot vestibule, a 12 foot by 75 foot addition to the existing structure, according to building department records. The zoning certificate was approved on June 25.

The Hobby Lobby chain carries a variety of arts and crafts materials, plus party supplies, fabric and home-decor items.

On Monday, the local Hobby Lobby store manager referred all questions about the move to a spokeswoman in media relations in Oklahoma. Diana Goodall could not immediately be reached for comment.

Dunhams in recent years also moved to the same shopping center from Park Avenue West in Mansfield. The sporting goods store was previously in the Westpark Shopping Center.

No information was immediately available as to when the store will move to Ontario.

lwhitmir@nncogannett.com

419-521-7223

Twitter: @LWhitmir