The Return of Retail - Furniture Family to set up ship on former Muskegon Mall site

Friday, December 8, 2006
By Dave Alexander
CHRONICLE BUSINESS EDITOR

It’s one small step for retail, one giant step for downtown Muskegon.

Hegg’s Gallery of Fine Furniture in Hart will open a new retail outlet in the former Century Club this summer, becoming the first new retailer to locate on the “city center” redevelopment of the former Muskegon Mall property.

Hegg’s will lease the space in the historic downtown business club now being renovated by Muskegon businessmen Gary Post and Russ Strong.

When the Hegg family decided earlier this year that it was time to expand its furniture business outside of Hart, Muskegon became the target market.

Looking for a satellite location in Muskegon – where many of its customers were already located – the Heggs explored The Lakes Mall and the commercial centers in the Sternberg Road area of Fruitport Township and Norton Shores.

But for a family that created a shipping destination in Hart by transforming and old hardware store and an auto garage into an upscale furniture and home interiors showroom, the suburban scene just didn’t make it.

They fell in love with downtown Muskegon.

“We are now in an old building, downtown overlooking a lake,” owner and president Staci Hegg said of the Hart location. “That’s who we are. In Muskegon, downtown made sense. It’s a good fit. We don’t have to reinvent ourselves.”

Heggs hopes to be operating from the 14,00-square foot, three level Century Club building my mid-summer, Hegg said. The Century Club – built in Romanesque-style in 1889 – is the remaining architectural jewel from historic West Western Avenue business district, most of which was removed with building of Muskegon Mall in 1976 and its subsequent demolition in 2003.

The Hegg announcement came earlier this week at a Community Foundation for Muskegon County “donor update.” Community leaders and downtown ecomonic developers hailed the first retailer to take a risk on downtown, which is now in full redevelopment mode with multiple residential, office and commercial projects announced and under construction.

“Hegg’s announcement demonstrated that retail coming back downtown Muskegon, retailer by retailer, is for real and that in the near future we are going to see a vibrant atmosphere for Main Street-type businesses,” said Dan Rinsema-Sybenga, manager of Muskegon Main Street a non-profit nationally affiliated program for revitalizing the downtown that is supported in Muskegon through a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Hegg’s traces its history through three generations of the family. Charles Hegg opened Hegg’s Department Store in 1947 on State Street in Hart. His son Bill took over the business in 1970 and began to focus on furniture.

In 1998, Bill’s son Scott and his wife Stacie bought the business. The Heggs developed the business with Stacie’s mother Luanne Fekken and her sister Chandre Fessenden. In 2001 they moved to their now 30,000 square-foot showroom and 10,000 square-foot warehouse at 112. E Main in Hart.

Hegg’s Gallery has built its business and regional reputation on one-of-a-king items of furniture and home accessories. Hegg’s is a full-line furniture store with items for the bedroom, dining room, living room and seasonally, the outdoor deck.

The furniture store has built its customer base on long-term relaionshipa and repeat business, Hegg said. Hegg’s das developed relationships with West Michigan interior designers and home builders, she added. One of the designers working with Hegg’s in Hart has been Details & Design by Mary Kaye in Muskegon.

“We have been so pleased with their customer service and product knowledge,” owner Mary Kaye said. “They have such a variety of uniques items. They are great people to work with.”

Community leaders say the Hegg’s decision is a significan milestone for the rebirth of the downtown.

“Hegg’s Furniture is exactly the type of retailer we were hoping to attract for downtown,” said Cindy Larsen, president of the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce. “They are regionally owned and have an image for quality and unique products. They understand the contemporary and traditional markets. Like the new Harley Davidson dealership, they will be attracting customers from all along the lakeshore.”

The regional scope of Hegg’s business has been fueled by the waterfront vacation home market in Oceana County. Summer residents and tourists find furniture that they want to take back to their primary residences. Just this week, Hegg deliveries were made in Flint, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, she said.

In Muskegon, Hegg’s will not have the volume of items found in Hart as all warehousing and deliveries will continue to come out of its main store.

But the building and location in Muskegon will lend itself to an eclectic range of items promoting lakeshore living along with a mix of urban and contemporary pieces. The historic nature of the Century Club also lends itself to the traditional, Hegg said.

“Our goal is to do the little things that other stores don’t take the time to do," Hegg said of store elements like a coffee café with fresh beverages and pastries in Hart. “In Muskegon, we want to make downtown a (shopping) destination.”

Hegg said she hopes her family’s decision will spur others to make similar choices in the existing and new buildings being planned for “city center”.

In Hart, Hegg’s helped to encourage other downtown businesses such as the Roll Inn Bakery, Maplewood Home Builders showroom and Total Fitness to locate across the street, she said. In Muskegon, the hopes are for other specialty retail outlets, restaurants and entertainment venues, she said.

Besides Hegg’s move into the Russell Block, the “city center” site also has development deals announced that could bring a new chamber of commerce building, community parking structure, Sidock Group office building and a 16-unit “live and work” condominium project to the 23-acre former Muskegon Mall property. The Heritage Square condos combined with office or commercial space were just announced this week by Post.

“I think now is really the time for downtown Muskegon,” Post said. “We are at a threshold of something exciting in downtown Muskegon.”

© 2006 Muskegon Chronicle. Used with permission