Business in Schuylkill County had its share of ups and downs in 2012, from the announcement of two power plants planned in Porter Township to the closing of a longtime apparel manufacturer in southern Schuylkill.
The county's Fairlane Village and Schuylkill malls welcomed new tenants during the year.
The arrival of Kohl's department store at Fairlane Village began with a soft opening March 4 and a grand opening March 7. The 55,628-square-foot site once housed Value City, with 47,546 square feet designated for sales.
Fairlane Village welcomed another tenant in August when Michaels held a soft opening Aug. 17 and a grand opening two days later. The arts and crafts retailer signed a lease for a 22,192-square-feet space in January and employs more than 60 people.
Dunham's Sports opened its doors June 29 at the Schuylkill Mall. It sells sports equipment, clothing and other items in a 58,000-square-foot site that was formerly occupied by Black Diamond Antiques.
The antiques store relocated to the site of the former Steve and Barry's that went out of business in 2009.
The Schuylkill Mall also saw the start of construction of The Pearl Stadium 8, the renovated movie theaters, in July. The theater's new VIP auditorium opened in December, along with a new and expanded concession area. Patrons 21 and over will be able to have beer, wine or liquor in the designated area once the state Liquor Control Board approves the the license.
Mark Clement, theater manager, said construction to provide the more up-to-date experience for customers could be finished by April.
On Aug. 26, Pottsville's downtown said goodbye to a long-time eatery when Coney Island closed its doors.
The business at 215 N. Centre St. welcomed customers since the 1920s and was one of three Coney Islands in the Pottsville area. Ray Westcoat operated the location for more than 20 years.
The Coney Island restaurants are linked to the Palles family, according to newspaper archives, with the "Palles Trust" owning the building in which the Coney Island Downtown operated. The Coney Island at 2290 W. Market St. is owned by Mickey Palles and one at Fairlane Village, Coney Express, is owned by Randy Palles.
On the county's west end, Canadian power developer EmberClear Corp. announced plans in November to build a 300-megawatt generation plant. The plant, Good Spring NGCC 2, will be a natural gas combined cycle electricity plant.
The new facility comes on the heels of Good Spring NGCC1, an $800 million electricity plant in Porter Township whose construction is expected to begin in 2013 by SK E&C USA.
Each plant will be capable of serving 300,000 or more households in the northeastern United States.
As the announcement of a power plant construction came in November, so did the closure of longtime garment company FesslerUSA at 1506 Center Turnpike, Orwigsburg.
Walter Meck, president/CEO, said Nov. 5 that the company started as Meck & Co. in 1900, making underwear. It eventually switched to tees and tops, and earlier this year returned to making high-end men's underwear.
FesslerUSA provided design services and manufactured knit fabric and apparel and consumer products. Until recently, it employed 130 people, including office staff, sales employees, knitters, sewers and operators.
The FesslerUSA facility does not stand empty, however. It is now home to Warrior Boot Camp, a get-fit class that uses tractor tires and other equipment to promote physical health.
The site also houses bottled water by Advance H20, which recently signed a five-year lease to use part of the premises.