By By JAN GRIFFEY / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Niles' rumor mill has been working overtime, spreading reports that The Home Depot has purchased the former Kmart property, plans to demolish it and build and operate a store in Niles.
That's simply not the case, said a spokesman for The Home Depot at its Atlanta headquarters Tuesday afternoon.
The spokesman said The Home Depot real estate representatives have scouted Niles Township, as well as "literally dozens of sites in Michigan." However, "we don't have any land and in the absence of land, we can't really talk about where we are or are not looking to build a store. We certainly have no commitments in place in Niles Township."
Marge Durm-Hiatt, Niles Township clerk, said no one representing The Home Depot has contacted the township's building department, a preliminary step that certainly would take place should the company be considering opening a store here.
The spokesman said Home Depot has more stores in Michigan "than in all but four states. It's our fifth most popular state with something like 65 stores."
He said Home Depot keeps an inventory of sorts of available land in Michigan and elsewhere in the country.