HOM Furniture finds a home in Rochester

When the new HOM Furniture store opens in Rochester in late March, it will feature a glass elevator to carry customers to the three floors of furniture and accessories.

Right now anyone entering the building at the Miracle Mile Shopping Center needs to wear a hard hat as the major renovation is under way.

With two months left before it opens, about 400 area people submitted job applications to work at the store. It will be staffed with about 45 people.

"You can feel the excitement already," said Showroom Manager Greg Ostrum as applicants lined up at a job fair last week.

Back in October, the Twin Cities-based furniture retailer bought the former Carson Pirie Scott building that had sat empty since 2002.

"We'd been looking for a while and finally found an opportunity," said Ralph Kliber of HOM.

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