Klamath Falls, Ore. – It’s now been five months since two Haggen stores closed in Klamath Falls.
Klamath County Economic Development Association Director Greg O’Sullivan said the Haggen closures aren’t the result of a poor economy, “They over-reached, and they had to file a chapter filing. And I don’t know that there’s anything anybody could have done.”
Haggen purchased both Klamath Falls Safeway stores in the spring of 2015, and then closed them in September, laying off about 130 people. Both stores remain vacant.
O’Sullivan says many of those laid off have found new jobs. About 30 Haggen stores are scheduled to go up for auction March 11th. But Klamath Falls City Manager Nathan Cherpeski says the Klamath Falls stores aren’t on the list.
“Those two properties are no longer part of the bankruptcy, and are no longer part of Haggen’s assets – they belong to Haggen Property North, which is a different group,” said Haggen.
Cherpeski adds the city has hired a retail recruiter to work with Haggen on finding a replacement, “They’re working on something. They said they have a potential tenant in mind, and so we’re just kind of waiting.”
The name of that potential tenant hasn’t been released. The shutdown of both Haggen stores in Klamath Falls has resulted in a shortage of pharmacies.
One of the Haggen stores was also home to the only ‘Starbucks’ in Klamath Falls, but Starbucks has since re-opened in a local Albertsons.
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