The RoomPlace, a furniture retailer headquartered in Illinois, announce that it will expand its footprint in Indianapolis with a 160,000 sq. ft. warehouse and showroom located at 8301 E. Washington St. in the former Levitz building. The facility will serve as the primary distribution center for the Indianapolis area. The new location will also house the corporate headquarters of the company’s rent-to-own retail division, EasyHome. City leaders and community stakeholders heralded the announcement as another hopeful sign of revitalization on the east side.
For the last 20 years, the Levitz building has been vacant. Sidney Eskenazi, founder and CEO of Sandor, the building’s owner, helped to broker the deal with The RoomPlace as part of a larger partnership between the two companies.
Mayor Joe Hogsett noted that the east side is “a jewel in the rough . . . often overlooked, even neglected, by the city.” He took the unveiling of the multi-million dollar investment to announce further efforts for his administration to revitalize development on the east side. “Today’s announcement represents a turning point in the redevelopment of the National Road Corridor. This is a historic road . . . running through the city, east to Cumberland and Greenfield, west to Plainfield and beyond. It was the road to the west.”
Paul Adams, CEO of The RoomPlace, noted, “Our decision to expand our regional sales and distribution centers, as well as introduce this as the location for the new corporate headquarters of EasyHome, is a demonstration of our commitment to the city of Indianapolis. . . . we are excited to not only bring new employment opportunities, but also be a part of the revitalization of the Indy East Side.”
The Mayor also noted that redevelopment, especially of a long-vacant building, has positive economic impact in the community. Bringing jobs to the area will boost retail and restaurants, he said.
Opening in late fall of 2016, The RoomPlace will provide over 100 new local job opportunities. The company was founded in 1912 and has three showrooms in the Indianapolis area.
