WARSAW — How far will you drive for a deep discount?

[caption id="attachment_106745" align="alignright" width="233"] The line outside of Ollie's Bargain Outlet as of 8:45 a.m. Thursday. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

That was a good question outside of the new Ollie's Bargain Outlet discount store which had a grand opening at 9 a.m. Thursday.

About 40-50 people were lined up for the first day of ales and ribbon cutting, eager to get ahold of some of the big bargains in a store at the Marketplace of Warsaw shopping store that was previously the home Big Lots which closed late last year after the company filed for bankrupcy.

First in line on Thursday was a man named Alberto who was there with his brother and said he arrived an hour early.

He said they rented a small U-haul trailer and drove from Long Island, New York — a 12-hour drive, according to Google.

He said they often attend Ollie's openings because of the potential money they can make in re-selling merchandise online after returning home.

He said they've been to about seven openings.

"They usually have incentives you can resell online," he said. "That's why we come to every opening."

Others in line Thursday likely had a shorter drive.

Another customer said she'd been anticipating the store's opening since December.

Yet another, Jammie Mullins, said she drove directly from work in North Webster and was eager to save some money.

For many, the appetite for a good deal is simple.

"Cuz nobody makes a lot of money and when you get a discount, it goes further," Mullins said as she stood near the back of the line.

Ollie's is certainly trying to fill that demand.

The company, whose slogan is "Good Stuff Cheap," has been expanding with hundreds of new locations, said regional director Ken Missig.

Other nearby locations include Mishawaka, Plymouth, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis.

"We've got a lot of grand openings going on right now ... We've picked up a number of the Big Lot stores, this one included," Missig said. "Super happy to be here in Warsaw."

Employees sounded as excited as some of the customers and greeted them with applause as they enter

"I assume some of the customers know of us from some of the other markets. Hopefully, we're as excited as we are that we have a store here locally," he said.

[caption id="attachment_106747" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Inside, the store had plenty of merchandise and deep discounts. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_106764" align="aligncenter" width="568"] A ribbon cutting was held shortly before 9 a.m. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The post Ollie’s grand opening in Warsaw brings a few customers from afar appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — The following is a recap of top stories that stood out in 2024 in Kosciusko County.

Downtown growth

Downtown Warsaw saw a banner year with a large number of new stores opening, providing a more diverse selection of options for downtown shoppers. As a result, the number of storefront vacancies now hovers near zero — an impressive fete for any small downtown.

At the same time, Fellowship Missions opened the Gathering Place and LITE and Generous Coffee agreed to share space along Center Street.

Orthopedic retention money

Local leaders began developing a plan on how to use $30 million in money directed by the state legislature to help boost job retention in the orthopedic industry. The program is formally known as the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative (OIRI) and is overseen by OrthoWorx. Among the first projects to see movement is a plan for an orthopedic innovation center with a partnership involving Grace College. Talks are also underway for a future city-county parking garage in Warsaw. Nine other projects have been outlined.

Overdose deaths

The number of deaths resulting in overdoses in Kosciusko County fell significantly in the past year. Officials attribute that to the availability of Narcan and an array of community programs and educational efforts.

Grace College

A $27 million grant from Lilly Endowment was awarded to Grace College. The grant represents the largest donation in school history and will provide partial support for a larger collaborative project involving a series of initiatives in Warsaw and Winona Lake. Also this year, the college announced plans for a new $2 million welcome center that will transform much of Westminster Hall.

Winona Lake

Winona Lake Town Council revamped how the Miller Sunset Pavilion is managed in hopes of whittling down a large debt from its construction. Meanwhile, Gov. Eric Holcomb honored retiring town manager Craig Allebach with the Sagamore of the Wabash after Allebach announced plans to retire.

County leadership

Retirements and the 2024 election helped reshape Kosciusko County leadership. Sue Ann Mitchell moves over from county council to the board of commissioners, replacing longtime commissioner Brad Jackson. Council added two new faces — both Republicans — with the election of Rachael Rhoades and Delynn Geiger. Meanwhile, Allysa Schmucker was appointed county auditor by a GOP caucus after Rhonda Helser stepped down.

Sheriff's program

Sheriff Jim Smith established a Community Recovery Program focused on helping inmates prepare for life after incarceration. The program relies heavily on grants and community resources. Shanna Wallen was named resource navigator and the program is expected to evolve in 2025.

YMCA

Kosciusko Community YMCA had a busy year as it opened a new facility near downtown Warsaw that offers 24/7 access. It also worked to establish two programs addressing the need for more childcare in the community.

Orthopedics

Zimmer Biomet is now the home for a MedTech venture program via Plug and Play, an internationally recognized developer of innovative start-ups. Officials hope that a few of those businesses will eventually consider taking root in Warsaw. On an unrelated note, Johnson & Johnson quietly ditched the name Depuy Synthes in favor of Johnson & Johnson, thereby eliminating any direct reference to the first orthopedic company in the world.

Warsaw Football

Coach Bart Curtis led Warsaw’s high school football team on a historic playoff run as the Tigers knocked off the top three 5A teams in the state before losing in the championship game against Decatur Central.

Other stories worth mentioning ...

• The closing of Big Lots and Workout Anytime put a dent in the momentum to revitalize Market Place of Warsaw, which saw a tremendous rebound after new owners took over the shopping center in 2022. On the bright side, Bealls moved into the shopping center and a new retailer is expected to fill the vacancy in the Big Lots property in early 2025.
• Construction of an overpass is expected to improve traffic flow north of Milford and could lead to new development along the county road east toward Syracuse.
• A lack of transparency was highlighted in a state audit that showed the town of Syracuse has been reimbursing health insurance premiums outside the town group health plan. InkFreeNews reported the Indiana State Board of Accounts determined current and former town council members along with several former town employees owe the town about $503,529. The town council contends the practice is permissible under state law.

The post Ten issues that stood out in 2024 in Kosciusko County appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — The old adage, "When one door closes another opens," seems to be the case with the Marketplace of Warsaw where Big Lots ceased operations earlier this month.

But on Monday, Bealls, opened its doors just to the south of Big Lots for a 'soft opening," much to the delight of some shoppers.

"My sister got me started at the one in Columbia City and I just found tons of stuff in my size. I was so excited and I could afford it," said Eileen Tucker of Warsaw who visited the store Wednesday afternoon. "This is a very nice store."

The national chain will celebrate its grand opening Friday with a ribbon cutting with the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, kicking off three days of sales.

Bealls sells clothing, home accessories and shoes, among other things.

Soon after Bealls announced its plans to open the local store, the Big Lots corporate office announced that its Warsaw store would be among hundreds that the company planned to close.

As of Wednesday, that store was completely cleaned out, perhaps in hopes of attracting another tenant.

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WARSAW — The Warsaw Big Lots store — opened less than two years ago — is among many being closed, according to various reports.

The store opened in November of 2022, marking a return to the local market after the company left more than a dozen years earlier.

A manager at the store Saturday morning declined to comment and referred questions to their corporate office.

Other Indiana stores were part of a long list also expected to close.

[caption id="attachment_96570" align="alignright" width="360"] Above is a list of Big Lots stores in Indiana that are expected to close, according to a report by ENAS.com.[/caption]

ENAS.com reported Saturday that the "Giant retailer Big Lots is reportedly set to close almost 300 stores across the United States. The company recorded a net loss of more than $200 million for the first quarter of their fiscal year."

The discount store company attributed the drop to a “challenging consumer environment,” the story said.

Big Lots reported a net loss of $205 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2024, which ended May 4.

The Warsaw closing is a setback for the revival of Marketplace of Warsaw shopping center, which recently announced plans to fill a third and final anchor position on the property with the future opening of Bealls.

The shopping center had been close to entirely closing several ago, but a new owner, Sullivan Wickley, worked to bring in new tenants including Planet Fitness and Gabe's.

The store saw brisk business Saturday morning as signs announced up to 20 percent off on some items.

"It's very surprising," said Lisa Dubea who was shopping in the store Saturday morning with her husband, Terry.

"We knew they were closing some, but this just came."

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WARSAW — City Council President Jack Wilhite is one of several people applauding the city’s decision to use $1.2 million two years ago to help financially revive Marketplace of Warsaw shopping center.

Wilhite says the decision by the city to use $1.2 million in tax increment finance revenue was a good move that will bring the city benefits for years to come in the form of sustained tax revenues from the property near the corner of Center Street and US 30.

The arrival of Bealls — announced earlier this week — brings the shopping center’s occupancy rate up above 80 percent two years after an infusion of money from the city and Sullivan Wickley, the Atlanta-based developer, into the deteriorating retail property that had lost many of its tenants and was likely on the verge of closing.

While he's leery of government ever playing favorites, Wilhite points out that the city stepped in after it became clear that the shopping center could lose its final few tenants and become a major blighted area in an area that sits just yards away from a main corridor.

The past investment, he said, ensures future tax revenue while boosting the business climate.

"These investments come back and help us with tax money. They also help keep the tax rate down. It's really a win-win situation," Wilhite said.

He's also quick to point out that news of the store coming to Warsaw has been popular with some.

"I can tell you my wife is very excited," Wilhite said. "She's gone to a number of Bealls when we go down to Daytona and she's excited. I can tell you that."

Warsaw is not alone in choosing to support the private sector in redevelopment efforts for shopping centers.

[caption id="attachment_96135" align="alignright" width="300"] Stephanie Hood stands inside the Shoe Sensation store in MarketPlace of Warsaw. She said she thinks the arrival of a new anchor store will help bring more traffic and sales to the store. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

John Murphy, a partner with Sullivan Wickley said the firm spent millions of dollars of its own money in numerous ways to rehabilitate the property. Much of that involved replacing heating and air conditioning units that had quit working as well as improving the parking lot.

More recently, the company upgraded sidewalks along many storefronts as Sullivan Wickley pushes to fill a few remaining storefronts on the property.

Murphy said support from municipalities — especially with the use of tax increment finance money — is a trend seen across the country as developers try to revive shopping centers hurt by shifts in the economy and American spending habits.

"The city leadership used the TIF money in the right way, versus other cities subsidizing new construction — that's silly. That's just giving developers money," Murphy said.

Along with Bealls, the developer has since brought in Big Lots, Gabe's and Planet Fitness to the shopping center.

Several store managers and employees said they were pleased with the investment and arrival of Bealls, but many could not talk on the record because of corporate policy.

That was not the case for Stephanie Hood, manager at Shoe Sensation, which is possibly one of the longest-standing tenants in the shopping center.

"I am so thrilled that it's opening!" Hood said. "I go to the one in Florida and the one in Columbia City. This is going to be so close so I can spend all the money I make!"

She also sees it as a benefit to the shoe store, which sits on the far east end of the property near where a Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch office had previously been located.

"It's gonna generate business and we need that since the BMV just moved out so that's going to make a huge difference," she said.

Beals is expected to open this fall in the storefront just west of Gabe's.

Bealls also has a store in Plymouth.

[caption id="attachment_96137" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Work crews are pictured in the background near a cordoned-off area where sidewalks are being repaired at MarketPlace of Warsaw shopping center earlier this week. The work is part of ongoing improvements by Sullivan Wickley as the developer continues to seek additional new tenants for the property. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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