When walking down College Avenue by the football stadium, there are so many food options: Subway, Snooze, Panda Express. But there are only a few clothing stores and this number is about to be even lower.
Campus Corner and Here on the Corner will both be closing their College Avenue locations once their leases are up, Here on the Corner employee Alicia Stillman says.
Campus Corner first opened on College Avenue. 26 years ago in July 1989 and sells ASU apparel, owner Mike Jennings says. He says he then opened a location on Mill Avenue four years later.
Here on the Corner owner Julie Kent said in an email that the store has been around since 2004, but she has owned it for about four and a half years. Here on the Corner is a boutique that sells a majority of locally made clothing and accessories.
“There’s a really strong community element to it,” says Zoë Stein, a Here on the Corner customer of three years.
Stein says this store is so special and unique because Julie handpicks everything with input from the customers. She added that the store is really affordable and does a lot to give back to the community.
“Here on the Corner is a really special place and I’m pretty upset that it’s closing,” Stein says.
Kent calls the store a philanthropic store because they often hold fundraisers and try to give back to the community.
Campus Corner’s Mill Avenue location closed permanently October 29 and the College Avenue location will be closing permanently at the end of December, Jennings says.
Jennings says that even though it is time for him to retire, he’s going to miss spending his days at Campus Corner.
“I can honestly say I have fun almost every day, it’s a fun job it keeps me young,” he says.
Here on the Corner will also be closing in December, Julie says. She added that there is a possibility that the store will relocate.
“There will be retail space here again when it's redeveloped and the new owner wants us to come back,” Kent says. “You never know.”
The owner of the building that Here on the Corner and Campus Corner are located in is selling the building to a new owner since both stores’ leases are up and that new owner will be knocking down the building, Alicia Clark, a Here on the Corner employee says.
“As far as I know somebody is buying the property and they’re going to knock down the building and build a much larger more modern building,” Jennings says. “That building will have apartments, retail and restaurants on the bottom floor, and I’ve even heard of possibly a gym.”
Stein says that while it’s important to have housing near campus, Tempe already has a lot and it is not worth adding apartments “at the expense of such a great local business, it’s really upsetting.”
Kent says that owning the store has been a pleasure.
“I have loved every minute of owning Here on the Corner,” Kent says. “I have great customers and being on a college campus is a fun place to be.”
Here on the Corner has a unique mural on the side of it called The Resolana Project, According to Julie, the mural will not be gone with the building and it will have a new home at The Clark Park Community Garden.
After having two Tempe stores for over 20 years, Jennings says he’s always enjoyed his job and owning a store in Tempe.
“It’s been a pleasure to work in the city of Tempe. The city government has always been great to work with small businesses,” he says.
