Hobby Lobby eyeing early January opening in Keene
Dec. 1—Hobby Lobby plans to open its new Keene location in early January, the Oklahoma-based company announced in a news release Wednesday.
Construction is underway on the 56,000 square foot building at 381 West St., which previously housed a JCPenney.
Hobby Lobby plans to hire 35-50 people at the Keene store, according to the release. Full-time employees will be paid $18.50 an hour while part-time workers will receive $13 an hour.
"We're tremendously excited about becoming a part of the Keene community," Kelly Black, assistant vice president of advertising, said in the news release.
Hobby Lobby filed plans with the city late last year to make changes to the building that had been vacant since JCPenney closed in 2020 after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to the proposal presented to the Keene Planning Board, Hobby Lobby intended to add a new façade and new storefront doors, among other minor changes. The planning board approved Hobby Lobby's proposal last December, according to minutes from that meeting.
Hobby Lobby has over 900 stores across the nation, according to the release, including six other locations in New Hampshire Claremont, Manchester, Nashua, Rochester, Seabrook and Tilton. The closest store to Keene is in Athol, Mass.
Each store offers more than 70,000 crafting and home décor products, the release says. Hobby Lobby stores are open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. and closed on Sundays.
Jamie Browder can be reached at 352-1234 ext. 1427 or jbrowder@keenesentinel.com
