The long-empty downtown Salvation Army store will become an upscale antique store some time in November.
Michael Robbins signed a 27-year lease for the 10,000-square-foot shop at 210 N. Carson Street that has stood empty since smoke from an August 1996 fire damaged all the Salvation Army merchandise.
Robbins will move his Michael's Antique Mall and Hanifin's Antiques stores from South Lake Tahoe into the downtown Carson City store. He hopes to open in the first half of November.
"I really like the historical area," said Robbins, who now is remodeling the 1917 building. "I've been looking for a historical building. I really love the downtown. It needs some more retail. I'm happy to be involved."
Carson City Redevelopment Director Rob Joiner is also happy Robbins wants to bring retail to a block dominated by offices. The antique store's neighbors are the League of Nevada Cities, the Secretary of State, Stewart Title and Encore Consignment.
"This is exactly what we want in our mix," Joiner said. "This is the only antique shop on main street. The other ones are on side streets. He wants to be involved in the antique community."
Robbins confirmed his wishes to fit in along with other antique shops.
"I think antique shops are conducive to other antique shops," Robbins said. "
"Every shop is different."
Robbins describes his South Lake shops as high-end, featuring French and northern European pine furniture. He has operated in South Lake Tahoe for nine years.
The Carson City store will give him twice as much space as he has in South Lake Tahoe, where each of his stores are about 2,500 square feet.
The antique shop will fill what was mostly an empty block until the Secretary of State opened additional office space in a vacant building at Carson and Musser streets last year.
The antique shop will have entrances on Carson and Curry streets. The Redevelopment Agency's community committee recently walked Curry Street with an eye on more improvements.
Joiner said the agency is looking to possibly upgrade the Curry intersections at Robinson, Musser, Spear and Proctor streets in a manner similar to the Telegraph improvement done in 1999. These included putting planters at each corner and creating imprinted concrete sidewalks.