Depending on who you ask, the upcoming departure of a major retailer from Simcoe’s core is either a devastating hit to an already reeling downtown or a significant opportunity to revitalize the core.

Almost 35,000 square feet of retail space will be empty after the Leon’s furniture store vacates, as of Dec. 31, 2026, its building at 24 Norfolk St. North and relocates to the former Peavey Mart site on Queensway West where it will have more parking and warehouse space and greater visibility.

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Norfolk Mayor Amy Martin, noting the impending move is generating lots of talk in the town, has urged the county’s economic development department to actively market the downtown building to attract a new tenant.

The building was sold for $3.8 million to a numbered corporation i

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