Hobby Lobby officials have been busy speaking with job applicants inside the unopened and partially empty retail store in Apple Valley.
After final electrical connections were recently made at the new building, Hobby Lobby began a week of screening job applicants starting on May 18.
The building includes a Five Below, sandwiched between the Hobby Lobby and Marshall’s, at the Apple Valley Towne Center on Bear Valley Road.
Additionally, workers were seen cleaning windows and the exterior and interior of the vacant Marshall’s.
Inside Five Below, a construction crew was seen installing shelving units and check-out counters, with much of the building filled with equipment, but not inventory.
“It’s crazy to see all these cars in the parking lot after this place sat empty for months,” Apple Valley resident Robert Fulton told the Daily Press on Wednesday as he stopped to check on the progress of the stores. “It’ll be nice when these stores finally open.”
Fulton told the Daily Press that he frequently drives by the building, then “relays updates” to his wife, who works down the hill.
“She’s excited for the Hobby Lobby to open,” Fulton said. “She said she’s tired of driving to the Hobby Lobby in Victorville.”
The three retailers have not confirmed opening dates, but based on the work completed, Five Below might be the first to open.
Construction of the retail property near Bear Valley Road and Westmont Drive was completed earlier this year, with each store mostly sitting empty until April, when Southern California Edison arrived and completed work.
Last week, residents began receiving Hobby Lobby mailers that read, “Opening Soon Apple Valley,” while boasting stores carrying over 80,000 products, its mobile app, email list, social media connections and career opportunities.
The fully landscaped center includes several ChargePoint EV charging stations.
In April, Town of Apple Valley spokesperson Sarah Krieg told the Daily Press that the retail center was currently awaiting final utility connections to bring power to the site. Krieg added that once power is established, the tenants can proceed with opening.
The stores were originally expected to open in early 2026, according to the town.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Job seekers descend on Apple Valley Hobby Lobby, Five Below progressing
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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