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Bare shelves? Sold
Everything's for sale as Mervyns closes today
Dora Maldonado scored a box of used dowels that recently held a merchandise display.
Maldonado, 43, was among dozens of shoppers who visited Mervyns department store in Marysville in recent days, not for cut-rate shoes or home decor accessories, but for the store fixtures themselves.
The store closes its doors for the last time today.
"This is the center of Marysville," Maldonado said.
"It's sad," said Inez Maldonado, 45, who accompanied her.
Marysville Mayor Bill Harris recently initiated a local task force of City Council members and business owners to try and find a solution to the empty space the retail chain's bankruptcy and liquidation leaves on the city, and the dearth of sales tax revenues it's likely to cause.
Vice Mayor Christina Billeci, who Harris appointed to the group, said on Dec. 16 that a proactive approach will be necessary to attract new sources of retail revenue for the city.
"I don't think it's a good idea to simply sit still," she said. Construction of the Mervyns store, which opened in 1978, once sparked community-wide controversy.
The new building replaced two city blocks, and required demolition of the Decker-Jewitt Bank at what had been 212 D St., and the Ellis Building on the corner of First and D Streets. Both dated back to Marysville's early gold rush years, and had been nominated for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to Appeal-Democrat archives, city officials considered moving the old buildings prior to construction, but found the plan to be unfeasible.
On Friday, Ruth Soto, 40, rang up sales on things like clothing racks and in-store strollers for children.
She and most of Mervyns' other 80 or so local employees were transferred from the original corporation to a liquidation company's payroll last month. Most were sent home after showing up for work in recent days.
"They've made this a really easy transition," said Soto, who also owns a boutique one block away on D Street.
She said she still is uncertain how she will generate much-needed income she receives from the department store job.
"That's the rough part of this for me," she said.
Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Nancy Pasternack at 749-4712 or at npasternack@appealdemocrat.com
