The recent announcement of the addition of a Hobby Lobby and Texas Roadhouse to Oswego Plaza provided some answers to the questions about the potential closing of JCPenney. 

Rumors of JCPenney’s closing have been circulating since 2020, as both the local store and the national corporation saw major reductions in business. The local store was repeatedly spared from being closed down, but the time has come for new businesses to enter the area.

Due to close down completely in May of this year, City of Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow confirmed that JCPenney will be replaced by Hobby Lobby. Additionally, a new building for a Texas Roadhouse restaurant will be constructed in the Oswego Plaza off of State Route 104. Barlow announced these additions to the community in a tweet on Jan. 23, stating, “While we hate to see JCPenney go, the closure inches us closer to Hobby Lobby and Texas Roadhouse entering the plaza.”

An article by LocalSYR revealed that Mayor Barlow confirmed that the City of Oswego has been in contact with those at Texas Roadhouse since the fall of 2021. 

While JCPenney was a part of the Oswego community for some time, these new additions to the City of Oswego will likely benefit the community as a whole. Both Hobby Lobby and Texas Roadhouse are popular chains throughout the country.

For Oswego students, the Hobby Lobby will provide a new outlet for a variety of arts, crafts and home supplies. The addition of an arts store may provide more accessible resources for artists at SUNY Oswego.

The Texas Roadhouse will also provide a new style of dining and cuisine for both students and locals to enjoy. There was much excitement surrounding the addition of a Popeyes restaurant to the community last semester, and rumors of a potential Texas Roadhouse being built could potentially bring a similar excitement.

When asked about the new businesses coming to the area, SUNY Oswego student Sarah Kamide said that, “they will be a great addition to Oswego and I am looking forward to going.”

While the speculation of what would replace the soon-to-close JCPenney store in Oswego has ended, this year will clearly be bringing new and exciting things to Oswego for all to enjoy.

Photo by: Nate Zim