If, as the advertisement jingle goes, “Ace is the helpful hardware place,” then Federal Hill is the place for Ace.
The old Dollar General store at 1214 Light St. in the historic Baltimore neighborhood will become Federal Hill Ace Hardware sometime this spring, said Christopher Boniface, a spokesman for the hardware chain headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill.
The 8,500-square-foot building, constructed in 1978 and owned by 1214 28 Light Street Realty LLC, will feature about 7,000 square feet of retail space, Boniface said. The remaining space will be used for storage.
The new hardware store is owned by Gina Schaefer and Marc Freidman, who operate three Ace Hardware stores in the Washington, D.C., area.
“Our first store was in Logan Circle [in Washington], and Federal Hill reminded us a lot of Logan Circle,” Schaefer said. “There seems to be a strong sense of community and revitalization going on, which is something that attracted us to the neighborhood. We loved it.”
Schaefer said she and Freidman formalized a 10-year lease on the building the weekend before Christmas and plan minor renovations to the interior of the structure. They also have two five-year options to extend their lease, she said.
“Fortunately, it?s in pretty good shape,” Schaefer said of the building that was vacated this past fall by Dollar General. “Once Dollar General cleans out the rest of their stuff, we will give the lighting a face-lift and resurface the floors.”
And, depending on neighborhood sign regulations, Schaefer said a new awning and Ace Hardware sign will be added.
She?s been talking to Federal Hill Main Street representatives about the signs, but Executive Director Bonnie Crockett was not available for comment on Tuesday.
Once the store is open this spring, it will employ between 15 and 20 people, Schaefer said.
Ace Hardware has 17 stores in Maryland and boasts a 2.28 percent market share in the Baltimore region. The company was founded in 1924 in Chicago and has grown to more than 4,800 locations around the world.
