A new purpose for an old Menards?

Abandoned shells of big-box retailers are an unfortunate byproduct of modern commerce. What to do with them is a vexing question for town planners and business leaders. Menards has an idea.


The company is attempting to convert one of its old stores in Sheboygan, Wis., into a self-storage facility, according to the local Sheboygan Press newspaper. And it wouldn’t be the first time. 


The home improvement retailer submitted an application to city officials seeking a conditional-use permit to turn a vacant store into a 362-unit Menards Self Storage center, according to the newspaper. The company vacated the property three years ago after it built a 214,000-sq.-ft. store in Sheboygan, almost double the size of the old store. Attempts to then sell the vacated store have been unsuccessful. 


According to the permit application, Menards has already converted at least one former store into a storage facility in Eau Claire, Wis., where the retailer is headquartered.