Rob AriasSome local retail business openings and other activity in Emeryville to begin 2024 including openings at Bay Street, The Powell Street Plaza and the new storefronts at The Emery development.
OPEN: BMO Bank Branch at Powell Street Plaza
A BMO (Bank of Montreal) Bank branch has opened at the Powell Street Plaza following the banks’ 2023 acquisition of Bank of the West. The acquisition is part of an aggressive growth strategy in the U.S including ”the highly attractive California market.”
The Canada based bank has been making a marketing blitz on local airwaves and billboards to familiarize customers with their brand.
MOVED: Verizon Store Moves to Powell Street Plaza
Verizon Wireless has moved from their East Bay Bridge Shopping Center location to the Trader Joe’s anchored Powell Street Plaza.
The Verizon Wireless store now occupies the former Metro PCS space who were acquired by T-Mobile and already have a location at the shopping center.
FOR LEASE: La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings Property
The building currently occupied by La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings is up for lease. The 16,000 square foot space with dedicated parking is being listed by Lockhouse Property Management.
The employees we spoke with were not aware of an impending closing date for the store.
REOPENING: Bay Street Apple Store Renovations Near Completion
The Bay Street Apple Store, closed since August for renovations, has finally announced a reopening date.
The location was curiously closed amidst the busiest shopping period of the year referring customer to their nearby Berkeley 4th Street location. The nature of the renovations have not been revealed.
The store will reopen to the public on January 8 at 10 a.m.
OPEN: Eyewear Love Affair at “The Emery” Development
The massive “The Emery” development (former Sherwin-Williams property) has their first commercial tenant along Hubbard Street. The project is designated to include between 2,000 and 8,000 square feet of ground floor retail/restaurant space.
Eyewear Love Affair is a “Black, queer owned eyewear boutique located in Emeryville, offering a unique eyewear fitting experience in person or virtually. Selling edgy independent optical frames, chains and jewelry.”
Eyewear fitting appointments are available in-person and virtually through their website.
OPEN: Salon Republic at Bay Street
Salon Republic, who lease individual salon studio space to beauty care professionals, has opened at the former Express clothing space at Bay Street.
In addition to selling products, they typically offer the services of hairstylists, estheticians and barbers.
The location lists several studios available on their website.
I’ve been reading and appreciating your publication for many years as a long-time resident of Emeryville. However, something unfortunate has happened to your writing. For example, you are now using “who” to refer to stores—a word that for centuries has been reserved for human beings—and you have lost your grasp on subject–verb agreement. These things make it difficult for readers to understand what you’re saying. As a lifetime copy editor, I know that careless writing can be dangerous, and I know that that kind of writing has become commonplace. I urge you to do better, though, if you want your publication to continue to have value.