Harbor Freight’s New Front Street Store Opening Delayed

Harbor Freight Tools had hoped to open its second Broome County store several months ago but the company's plans were derailed.

The new store was expected to take over the town of Chenango site that had been occupied for more than three decades by Nasco Home and Flooring Center.

A Florida-based company acquired the building at 1272 Front Street for $675,000 last June and the Nasco store closed a few weeks later.

Plans called for the renovation of the 16,800-square-foot building for the Harbor Freight operation. But work was held up because the two-acre site lies in the floodplain.

The changes needed to transform the structure into a Harbor Freight store were considered a "substantial improvement." That meant that the floor would have to be raised two feet above the base flood elevation or steps would be required to floodproof the place.

The developers ultimately chose to take the floodproofing route and the revised plans for store were recently approved by the town.

Work on the project started last week. The bottom portions of the building's wall have been removed.

The floodproofing job isn't expected to take very long to complete. A message left at the Harbor Freight Tools corporate communications office was not returned.

The company's website indicates the new store is "coming soon" with an estimated opening of September.

Harbor Freight's other Broome County store is in Vestal. That location opened 13 years ago.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A visit to the Front Street site on June 24, 2024.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.