Jun. 27—OTTUMWA — A company spokesperson has confirmed the company's plans to close its north Hy-Vee location in Ottumwa by year's end.
Rumors began to circulate on social media Tuesday in Ottumwa. Nola Aigner Davis, the company's senior communications manager confirmed Hy-Vee's decision Tuesday evening following an inquiry by the Ottumwa Courier.
Davis said the company determined it would not renew the lease for its store at 2453 North Court Street in Ottumwa "and will eventually close later this year." A definitive closing date for the North Ottumwa store will be announced in the coming months.
Residents in town responding to the news on Facebook mentioned concerns over the town's northside losing convenient access to a grocery store and pharmacy. While Ottumwa has several other grocery stores, including Walmart, Aldi and Fareway, they are all located near or south of the Des Moines River.
While Hy-Vee leased its North Court location, it owns the buildings that house the South Ottumwa Hy-Vee, Ottumwa Hy-Vee Drug Store and the two Ottumwa Fast & Fresh locations. Those locations will all remain open and Davis said the company was committed to continuing to serve the Ottumwa area at those locations.
"We believed it was best to let our employees and customers know as soon as possible," Davis said. "This also allows the leaseholder to find another business to occupy the building versus leaving open retail space in the community. We look forward to continuing to invest in the local area and our employees and remain committed to serving our customers in Ottumwa."
According to online property records, the North Court Hy-Vee building is owned by Agree Realty of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a real estate company with holdings that include about 1900 properties nationwide typically occupied by corporate retail.
North Ottumwa Hy-Vee pharmacy patients will receive additional information in the coming months about how to transfer their prescriptions to the South Ottumwa Hy-Vee or Ottumwa Hy-Vee Drug Store location. Employees of the Hy-Vee North store will be offered positions at other Hy-Vee locations, Davis said.
Kyle Ocker is the editor of the Ottumwa Courier and the Oskaloosa Herald. He can be reached at kocker@ottumwacourier.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kyle_Ocker.