New Business and Life for Downtown Landmark

Orillia Packet and Times

After sitting on the market for over four years, the former F. W. Woolworth Company building in Orillia’s downtown core has sold.

“It’s taken a long time to get it sold ...” Norman Jolliffe, broker of record/owner of Lake Country Real Estate Inc., said Thursday. “...We’ve gone through some pretty rough economic times during that period. I think that’s one of the reasons it took so long.”

The 28,000-square-foot building — has been purchased by Liquidation Nation.

“They really wanted to be in Orillia,” Jolliffe said. “They think the Orillia market is very well suited to them.”

Liquidation Nation opened up in Barrie at 86 Brock St. in 2009.

It is run by Barrie brothers Danny and Ryan Yousof.

“They have quite a nice operation down there,” Jolliffe said.

The former Woolworth building is solid, well-built and beautiful, Jolliffe said.

“I’ve always believed very strongly in the building,” he said. “It’s quite gratifying.”

The 41 Mississaga St. W. location is currently rented to Liquidation World, owned by Big Lots. The Big Lots company chose to locate in West Orillia.

Liquidation World will be closing at the end of June. Liquidation Nation will move into the old Fabricland space at the end of May and will later expand into the rest of the building.

“Basically, it’s the same type of operation as Liquidation World, except it’s expanded,” Jolliffe said. “(There’s) more variety.”

Sarah Valiquette-Thompson, chair of the Downtown Orillia Management Board (DOMB) is pleased a new business is coming to the downtown.

“We’re really hoping it will be fixed up a little bit and cared for a little bit more,” she said. “... It’s a space that’s being utilized in the downtown which is super important.”