By MARISSA DECHANT – Staff writer
The former site of the Salvation Army Family Store on Allegheny Boulevard in Franklin will be the home of an antique warehouse set to open this month.
The Refinery, owned by Franklin-based couple Ivan and Emilee Harris, will tentatively open March 15, with 15 available antiques vendors on the ground floor.
The idea for an antique store along the Allegheny River came about from Emilee Harris’ time as a vendor at Liberty Street Antiques.
The couple signed the lease in December with the idea of bringing in multiple vendors to sell antiques and a small selection of new items.
Vendors will offer an array of antiques, including furniture, primitives, glassware and tools, Emilee Harris said.
The store will be located on the 8,000-square-foot ground floor, with the possibility of adding more vendors on the second and third floors where there is an additional 12,000 square feet of space, Ivan Harris said.
The Refinery’s ground floor will be completely full on opening day, he said. Most vendors hail from the local area and include sellers from Franklin, Titusville, Fryburg and Youngstown.
“We’re definitely continuously looking for vendors,” Ivan Harris said.
The Harrises are employing a team of salespeople so vendors don’t have to be present at all times, and Ivan Harris said they will be looking to hire more employees come April.
Renovations to the interior have included repainting the floor and walls and constructing aisles and booths.
“It’s been a pretty large task,” said Ivan Harris.
Emilee Harris said she hopes at some point to bring in a winery to do tastings.
The Refinery will also host monthly auctions, with the first set for 1 p.m. Sunday, April 22.
“We really want to make Franklin a destination for antiques,” Emilee Harris said.
