Noddle Companies says locals will be ‘very pleased’ with future Holdrege Market Place tenants

HOLDREGE, Neb. — The real estate company that isn’t renewing a lease with a Holdrege grocery store is giving a glimpse into the future of the property.

Noddle Companies Chairman and CEO Jay Noddle says his company has been working for “quite some time” with businesses that want to occupy the Holdrege Market Place space. He couldn’t reveal specifics, but indicated the future plans could involve the former ShopKo Hometown property that sits vacant next to the grocery store.

“We are not abandoning Holdrege,” Noddle said over the phone. “We couldn’t be any more committed than we are.”

Noddle says he believes that locals will be very pleased with the future tenant or tenants of the property, which his company has owned for nearly 40 years. An announcement about the property’s future could come as soon as the next few weeks. Noddle says the changes will not affect the other businesses in the Holdrege Plaza development.

Noddle spoke on the phone NCN a day after ownership of Holdrege Market Place announced it would close in July when its lease expires.

“We want to thank our wonderful employees and valued customers for their loyalty and support over the years," Holdrege Market Place owners said in a social media post. "It has been an honor to serve the community, and we are grateful for the relationships we have built with our customers."

The statement, and its blaming of Noddle Companies, sparked hundreds of reactions and comments on social media. 

Noddle called the timing unfortunate. He says he needed to notify store ownership in advance of the lease end date but isn’t ready to announce the future plans for the property yet.