Long John Silver's Rebuild, HomeGoods and City Center News

Key Takeaways

• Long John Silver's on the south side will be demolished and rebuilt, likely as an LJS/A&W combo like Bardstown and Campbellsville
• Three goodbyes: Ken & Karen Homes have retired, Bloom Bakery on Mulberry has closed, and the Rosey Posey owners have retired
• HomeGoods opened Thursday, October 22, at City Center, in a building Nate described as huge
• City Center (the former Towne Mall) is planning a grand opening a few weeks out, per The News-Enterprise; Buckle and Compassion Coffee House are shooting for November or December
• Ford's Glendale plant is expected to come online in late 2027, with $2 billion invested and 2,100 jobs

Summary

Nate Bryan opened Hardin Local Weekly with the sharpest item on his desk: Long John Silver's on the south side is coming down, and a rebuilt location, likely paired with A&W, is expected to take its place. That was one of five items on his desk, three goodbyes and two coming soons.

Then he walked through the week's business news, from the HomeGoods opening and the next steps at City Center to the Ford plant in Glendale. His read on the closings: this is retirement and health, not the economy, and every closed door leaves room for someone new.

Full Article

On the desk

Nate's list this week, as he sent it to the show:

Long John Silver's on south side will be demolished and rebuilt, likely as LJS/a&W combo like Bardstown and Campbellsville.

He told it from the south side of town, "which is my side of town," and he made no secret of how he feels. "Being me a Southsider, I want my Long John's and I want my A&W, so even better," Nate said. He is looking at 2027 for the new building.

The goodbyes were Ken & Karen Homes, who have retired, Bloom Bakery on Mulberry, which has closed, and the Rosey Posey owners, who have also retired. Nate said he has been to Bloom Bakery a couple of times and called it well respected, with a cute interior and a lot of favorites, scones included. The hosts closed the segment by saying the community wants to rally around the Bloom Bakery family.

Nate was quick to put the closings in context. "It's retirement, retirement, and health. That happens," he said. It is not a sign of doom and gloom for Elizabethtown, and he pointed out that each closing opens a spot for somebody else to make a name for themselves. "When one door closes, another door literally opens."

HomeGoods opens

HomeGoods opened Thursday, October 22, in the City Center shopping area. Nate got there around nine and the parking lot was already packed, though the opening-day line had already filtered inside. Rachel asked whether the line was out the door; Nate compared it to Disney or Universal, where you let the rope-drop crowd go in first and walk in behind them. Inside, he said, there was no need to slow anyone at the door. The building is huge, which he put at around 20,000 square feet while admitting he may be underestimating, with plenty of aisles and plenty of room to get around.

Nate bought nothing, but he took five videos and about 57 photos, and he said the staff were friendly and none of them made him feel in the way. Local drone videographer Braden Gary also shared an aerial view of the line. Nate made one clarification: this is not the HomeGoods near Staples, which he said he has had to explain a few times on Facebook.

City Center is not a mall

The shopping center is now City Center, and Nate was firm on the point. "It is not a mall," he said. You cannot walk from store to store inside, because it is a shopping center. The grand opening is being planned for a few weeks away, per The News-Enterprise, with no exact date or time yet.

Nate shot photos of the new fountain, which he described as five or six level steps and still under construction. Buckle is still coming and Compassion Coffee House is shooting for November or December. Shoe Department Encore, which closed for a remodel, rounds out the three he called guaranteed. He counted four or five open spots and two restaurants still coming, alongside the stores already open: JCPenney, Malibu Jack's, American Eagle and Bealls.

Ford in Glendale

Nate also noted that Ford's Glendale plant, the former SK Blue Oval site, is expected to come online in late 2027. The word came from a Ford government affairs director at the Chamber luncheon, who also spoke with The News-Enterprise. Nate cited $2 billion in investment and 2,100 jobs, figures the Industrial Foundation has used for the project.

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