September 18, 2017, marked a momentous occasion — Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy, officially joining that illustrious club of businesses that once thrived, only to descend into the retail abyss.
The toy giant’s 725 Big Box retail stores bid a final farewell, leaving behind an impressive vacuum of over 30 million square feet of prime commercial real estate. That’s like having an elephant in the room and then realizing it took a one-way ticket to the moon.
Miraculously, over 90% of these former toy palaces found new life. Yes, while other retailers nibbled away at approximately 80% of Toys R Us locations, more than 100 sites found themselves dressing up for completely different occasions—think of them as retail drag queens, ready to outshine their former selves.
Fast forward seven years post-bankruptcy, and it’s time to marvel at seven eccentric and imaginative adaptations of these former retail wonders. Buckle up, folks, for a joyride through the whimsical world of adaptive reuse.
First up, we’ve got a church in Bridgeport, West Virginia that’s taken over one of the erstwhile toys’ castles. Centerbranch Church, which has seen attendance balloon from 50 to several hundred weekly, found that the 47,000 square-foot toy shrine was the perfect spot to host divine playdates and worship. For just $2 million, they snatched it up and poured another $3 million into transforming a bygone toy wonderland into a holy refuge.
Meanwhile, in Salisbury, Maryland, the building became a combat zone—not for children’s toy soldiers, but a collision repair shop for Hertrich’s auto dealership. Yes, because turning a toy shop into a car repair place is simply one oil change away from a nostalgic childhood meltdown.
Others have joined the fun as well. U-Haul took a 41,000 square-foot former Toys R Us and turned it into a climate-controlled storage facility. Who needs toys when you can store your mom’s old furniture and last year’s floral-pattern couch in a premium location?
Meanwhile, over in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, they decided toys weren’t sufficient, so they transformed a former toy store into a pediatric healthcare center. Welcome to the Lancaster Pediatric Center, where children are cared for instead of coddled with overpriced puzzles.
In Akron, Ohio, Tesla swung open the doors to a vehicle service center located conveniently where toys used to be hurled off shelves. However, don’t expect to pick up a new model here—Ohio’s quirky sales laws only allow Tesla to be an overqualified auto doctor.
As if that wasn’t enough, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs opened a 42,000 square-foot facility in Des Moines, Iowa. Thank you, Toys R Us, for making way for a clinic that provides personalized care to over 30,000 veterans. Who knew a toy box could also be a lifeline?
Last but not least, in a plot twist worthy of a sitcom, several former Toys R Us locations have metamorphosed into flashy car washes. Yes, that’s right! Valet Auto Wash is now cleaning cars inside the very buildings that once held dreams of action figures. Talk about turning old fantasies into fresh, soapy realities.
So, what’s fueling this manic transformation of once-familiar toy store shells? It turns out these buildings sit in prime locations, often nestled in bustling hubs with an eye for potential. Adding to that, these freestanding structures are clean slates brimming with adaptability, like a piece of clay begging to be molded into something extraordinary—whatever that extraordinary might entail.
While we bid adieu to the nostalgic cries of retail ‘childhood,’ we can’t help but chuckle at the innovative reinventions of these spaces. Who thought the ghosts of toy sales would morph into collision services, pediatric clinics, and underground car washes? If anything, it gives new meaning to the phrase “toys are forever.” Or at least, until the next adaptive reuse comes along!
