Hazard boutique owner sees sales boost from new retail development

The new retail buildout at Black Gold Plaza is already spilling past the national chains and into nearby Hazard storefronts, giving local merchants a clearer shot at the shoppers now moving through Perry County’s busiest commercial corridor.

Kimberly Bryant, who owns Vintage De’Lane Boutique, said foot traffic has increased since TJ Maxx and Five Below opened next to her shop. Her experience points to the broader effect city and county leaders hoped for when they backed the redevelopment, not just one store drawing its own customers, but a cluster of businesses creating a stronger pull for the entire area.

Drinkard Development announced March 13, 2025, that it planned to redevelop Black Gold Plaza with Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx and Five Below among the anchor retailers. The private investment was estimated at $16.5 million, and officials said the project had been in planning for more than three years. In May 2026, TJ Maxx opened May 17 and Five Below followed May 22. Hobby Lobby is set to open June 8, and Dollar Tree is scheduled for June 18.

The retail site sits in Perry Plaza in Hazard, where county materials say average traffic runs about 11,000 cars per day. The first phase covers about 30 acres and already has sewer, water, electrical and natural gas service. County officials have also pointed to the site’s location near Highway 80 and Highway 15, East Perry Middle School, the Perry Central High School football field, Appalachian Regional Hospital and Daniel Boone Plaza, home to Walmart and Lowe’s.

That traffic pattern matters in a county of about 28,000 residents that serves a shopping area of more than 100,000 people across nearby counties including Leslie, Knott, Letcher and Breathitt. For stores like Vintage De’Lane, the biggest upside may come from spillover shopping, when customers who make the trip for larger chains also stop for clothing, gifts, food or services nearby. Restaurants and other independent merchants along the corridor could see the same lift if the added traffic keeps building.

One report said the shopping center could bring 150 to 175 new jobs to Hazard. If that pace holds, the benefit will extend beyond the plaza itself, strengthening the city’s small-business corridor and giving local employers a better chance to keep more shopping dollars close to home over the next year.

Hazard, incorporated in 1884, grew into a major coal-mining center in the 1920s and still marks that heritage with the Black Gold Festival. The new retail development suggests another chapter is taking shape, with commercial growth now joining that history as a defining part of the city’s identity.