Before you get too excited that the blue light specials are returning to Rockford, let me just clarify exactly what is happening. Yes, the former Kmart on East State Street in Rockford will be reopening, but it will be home to an entirely different business.

According to bizjournals.com;

Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc. has inked a $62 million deal for more than a dozen recently shuttered Kmart and Sears stores, according to a report by SpareFoot, which tracks the self-storage industry sector.

In total, U-Haul has purchased (pending bankruptcy court approval) 13 Sears properties across the country, including the Kmart on East State. Phoenix Business Journal reports that plans for these newly purchased buildings include;

converting the acquired properties into self-storage and moving facilities where customers can rent trucks, purchase supplies and store belongings.

No time frame has been provided for when this new U-Haul location will open in Rockford, but I have noticed some activity when driving by it, so maybe it will happen sooner rather than later?

Catch Lil Zim on ‘Q98.5 Mornings with Lil Zim & JB’ on Q98.5 from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook