New home planned for Hammer’s
Building permit issued for $3 million, 21,000-square-foot project
Construction is just about ready to begin on the new Hammer’s Department Store in Clinton, which is being built at 2090 N. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., just east of Ray Varner Ford.
The developers on Jan.18 obtained a permit from the city of Clinton to build a $3 million, 21,000 square-foot building for the new store, which will replace the current location at 1200 N. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., in the same building as Big Lots and Dollar General closer to downtown Clinton.
Hammer’s co-owner/manager Kelly Calhoun, grandson of the store’s founders, said Monday that he hopes to see the new building starting to take shape on the site “by the end of this month (February).”
The plan is to have the new store open no later than the end of September, he said.
“What would be nice would be to have it ready by Labor Day,” Calhoun said. “But we need to have everything up there and ready to go by the end of September, which is when our current least runs out.”
The building will be constructed by Dixie Roofing Co. of LaFollette, and after it’s finished, Calhoun and a partner will buy the property and own the new building, he said.
Speaking of the $3 million price tag, Calhoun said, “This is something we’re going to be proud of that will be there a long time. We’re looking for it to be a long-term investment.”
He said that there also will be a vacant lot next to the new store that he hopes will attract another business to come to the site.
Calhoun said he believes the new location will help him grow the store, as it will be closer to the residential development underway in Clinton, as well as being more convenient to customers from Norris, Andersonville and other communities east of Interstate 75.
“We try to keep up with the times, and this will be our fourth move since we started in Clinton,” Calhoun said.
The store will continue to offer its signature quality bargain-priced closeout merchandise, with an emphasis on clothing, he said.
A grading permit was issued in August by the city of Clinton for the 2.78-acre site, and a site plan was submitted showing the proposed building surrounded by 91 parking spaces, on the 2.78-acre site between People’s Bank and the former location of Anderson County’s Glen Alpine Convenience Center (waste-collection) site.
Anderson County property records show the property is now owned by I-75 Industrial Group-Series 3, LLC.
Hammer’s has been in business in Clinton since 1952, having started in a building on Market Street. The company itself was founded in 1942 in Guntersville, Alabama, and besides Clinton, it still has stores in Knoxville, Sevierville, Wartburg and New Tazewell.
According to the Hammer’s website, each store is still owned and operated by Hammer family members “who focus on bargains, a fun shopping experience, and customer satisfaction.”
“All Hammer’s locations offer a mixture of first quality, closeouts, and irregulars of famous brand merchandise,” the website notes. “Shoppers can find fun and fashion goods for men and women, along with top name hunting and work wear, shoes, and boots. Bargain hunters can also find quality accessories for the home like rugs, home decor, and seasonal florals.”