Former long-closed local Kmart to have a new retail occupant

A location that has remained vacant after the Rocky Mount Kmart closed is getting a new lease to thrive.

A Midwest-based general merchandise chain currently has crews working on having a store in the Rocky Mount Towne Center off Sutters Creek Boulevard in the highly commercial northwestern part of the city.

Rural King was given approval to remodel the building, which is nearly 99,000 square feet in size, city officials said via email. Permits were issued June 27, city officials said.

David Farmer, who is Rural King’s director of construction and facilities, said via email Friday that members of the company’s marketing team told him that they would provide more information about the future Rocky Mount location closer to the opening date.

Rural King has a posting on the Indeed online job seekers website for an assistant manager position at the location, which is between North Wesleyan Boulevard and Jeffreys Road.

Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO David Farris said in a phone interview Thursday that he and his team are pleased that the long-vacant space is going to be occupied and said that Rural King has a great reputation.

Farris said that his understanding is that probably 75 or so people are going to be employed at the Rocky Mount location once the store is operating at full speed.

Farris also said that Rural King certainly is going to generate activity and business not only from the Twin Counties but regionally.

Overall, he said, “It’s a great space with great traffic — and it’ll be an easy location for people to find.”

Rural King stores are noted for offering shoppers a bag of popcorn and a cup of coffee when entering.

According to information Rural King has posted online, the company, which dates back to 1960, is family-owned and is based in Mattoon, Ill., which is roughly halfway between St. Louis and Indianapolis.

Rural King has more than 130 stores in a 13-state area, including in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.

The chain of stores offers agricultural parts, farm equipment, fashion clothing, housewares, lawn mowers, livestock feed, toys and workwear.

The Rocky Mount Kmart went out of business in 2016 after having served customers there since 1992, but the location is in a shopping center that includes the Rocky Mount Hobby Lobby, a Citi Trends and the Rocky Mount Chuck E. Cheese.

Additionally, the shopping center is near the Golden East Crossing mall, the Rocky Mount Target and the Cobb Corners shopping center, which is anchored by the Rocky Mount Walmart Supercenter.