SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The former Mervyn's building in the Town Center West shopping center in Santa Maria has been sold.
The building in the middle of downtown will be filled up for the first time since Mervyn's closed back in 2008.
A company called National Stores Inc. bought the building through an online auction that ended last Thursday. The company will put a Fallas Discount store in the building and they plan to do renovations before moving in.
Business owners in the shopping center have been waiting for 5 years for this news. Jewelry store owner Angie Chaparro said it will bring more visitors to her store.
"They don't even see the center back here. They think because they see the place empty there is nobody back here," says Chaparro. "So we're very happy about somebody coming back in."
National Stores Inc. also operates the Factory 2-U store at the north end of the city. The company submitted paperwork to city officials yesterday to finalize the purchase.
Since the building is part of the downtown area, any renovations it plans on doing to the building will need to be approved by the planning commission and city council.
