Iconic shoe store to move into former Hanny's space in downtown Rochester
(THE MED CITY BEAT) - An 82-year-old downtown Rochester shoe store is moving into a street-level space inside the Kahler Grand Hotel.
Jeff Kiger of the Post-Bulletin first reported Tuesday that O&B shoes and its adjacent New Balance store will move from their current spots on the corner of 100 First Avenue SW (nex to Tangerine Gifts) to 19 First Avenue SW (former home of Hanny's).
The move into the 6,000-square-foot building — about twice the size of its current space — could take several months, the paper notes. It's unclear what type of business will occupy O&B's current storefronts.
#rochmn icon, O&B Shoes, to stroll over to new, larger downtown store in September http://t.co/aXqqbeigEA
— Jeff Kiger (@WheresKiger) June 2, 2015
O&B Shoes has maintained a presence in downtown Rochester since 1933, according to the business's website. The shop operated out of a space at 209 South Broadway until 1949 when it moved just a few doors down.
The second building, located at 217 South Broadway, was the home of O&B shoes until a fire at a neighboring building forced them out in 1976. The business has been at its current location ever since.
O&B opened a second location in the TJ Maxx shopping plaza in 2009.
Its new downtown location will replace Hanny's clothing store, which moved out at the end of 2014. According a report at the time by KTTC-TV, Hanny's plans to continue operating its subway-level shops.
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(Cover graphic: O&B Shoes)
