At the time of the fire, the location was occupied by employees and patrons, who were able to exit the building safely. The fire caused extensive damage to the warehouse portion of the store, culminating in a complete loss. Due to the work of the firefighters, the retail portion of the store was relatively undamaged and suffered only minor smoke damage. The rebuilding includes increasing the size of the warehouse and retail space, in addition to adding a building material showcase area.
Kate Whittemore, owner/president of Home Central, said at the time she announced the rebuiding: “Being an essential business has been a blessing, but has not been without its challenges. The home improvement industry has seen unprecedented demand in a short period of time, resulting in temporary shortages, shipping issues and, at times, a frazzled team here at Home Central. We’re striving to meet the needs of every customer, process double the deliveries, and work with our suppliers to source items that have been backordered for months. Thank you to the community for your patience and support as we work through these issues and try to get our Vestal location back up and running.”
Home Central has stores in Owego and Candor.
