This city is apparently next in line to become part of Tandy Corp.'s expanding electronics "Universe."
Tandy officials are expected to announce at a press conference here Wednesday that they will build a giant electronics super-store, known as the Incredible Universe, between 11000 South and 11400 South, east of I-15 just south of the Utah Auto Mall.The store should bring about 350 jobs and could generate as much as $50,000 per month in sales tax revenue for the city, according to Tandy employees and government officials in other states.
Sandy city officials would not comment on the nature of Tandy's announcement or release preliminary design plans submitted to the city by the company.
Fran McGeehee, a spokeswoman for Tandy's main office in Texas, also would not discuss the announcement, but other sources from inside the company confirmed that the Incredible Universe will soon be coming to Sandy.
The concept for the retail outlet has been a hit in the nine locations across the United States in which the stores have opened since 1992. More stores are now under construction.
The Incredible Universe invites customers to try out all of its products before they buy and has entire rooms - like a home movie theater - set aside to give patrons hands-on experience. Many of the stores employ a full-time disc jockey to play music, and most have an elevated stage from which customers can sing their favorite songs over the store's sound system.
"You won't see any `do not touch' signs in the Universe," said Margi Russo, director of marketing for the first Incredible Universe store, which opened in the Portland, Ore., suburb of Wilsonville 21/2 years ago. "Every store is very interactive and encourages people to try out everything."
One Tandy employee who asked not to be identified said the Incredible Universe stores now being built are much larger than the earlier stores. The Wilsonville Universe is about 165,000 square feet, and the Tempe, Ariz., store, the nation's fifth Incredible Universe when it opened last June, is 185,000 square feet - about the size of two football fields.
The Wilsonville store employs between 275 and 300 people year-round, more during the holiday season. Toni Bartlett, marketing director for the Tempe store, said her store employs about 350 people.
Harvey Hubbs, audit and license manager for the city of Tempe, said the Incredible Universe generates about $50,000 per month for the city in sales tax revenue alone.
Oregon does not have sales tax, but Wilsonville finance director Gary Wallis said his city's store, valued for tax purposes at $5 million, has brought in money for the city through property taxes and a payroll tax.
Wallis said the store's grand opening attracted so many people that it created a major traffic problem on I-5. He said the city had to ask Tandy to remove about 25 tractor-trailers it brought in because it did not have enough warehouse space to accommodate the initial demand.
Tandy Corp. is no stranger to Utah. It operates Radio Shack stores throughout the state, including two in Sandy, and has a service center in Murray. It put about 60 people out of work in November 1993 when it closed its manufacturing facility in the Salt Lake International Center.
The press conference is set for 4 p.m. Wednesday at Sandy City Hall.