Staples to enter former Office Depot building

Framingham, Mass. Circuit City Plaza, a Bloomington, Minn, strip center that lost four of its five national retail tenants during the recession, has taken its first step toward refilling its vacant space, signing Staples to a lease for 20,000 sq. ft.

Staples plans to open the store in August. It will be the company's fifth location in the Twin Cities area, joining stores in Apple Valley, Minnetonka, Roseville and Woodbury.

At Circuit City Plaza, Staples will fill a space formerly occupied by Office Depot. Michaels Art & Crafts is the only other remaining tenant in the shopping center, which is located at the northwest quadrant of Interstate 494 and France Avenue.

Circuit City, Office Depot, Cost Plus World Market and CompUSA all shuttered their stores there over the past few years as part of broader downsizing initiatives. The center still has more than 92,000 sq. ft. of vacant space.