Old Staples in The Dalles to get Maxxed out; new retailer announced; work begins next week

Home Page

Jan 16

The last days of Staples can be seen in this File Photo taken in March 2025. The store will be home to a TJ Maxx clothing set to open after the building is redeveloped over the next six months.

By Tom Peterson

The Dalles, Ore., Jan. 16, 2026 — Construction is set to begin Tuesday on a new TJ Maxx clothing store at the former Staples building next to Safeway in The Dalles, confirming months of speculation about the national retailer’s arrival.

Darren Dickerhoof, manager of Riviera Enterprises LLC and Dickerhoof Properties, said work will start with exterior and interior improvements at the 24,477-square-foot space. The building’s interior was gutted several months ago, and crews will now focus on tenant improvements and a redesigned facade to give the store its own identity within the shopping center.

“There will be some facade work to make it look nice,” Dickerhoof said. “Nothing fancy, but it will give them their own sign and presence.”

The project is expected to unfold in phases, with construction work taking about two to three months, followed by several additional months of tenant build-out before the store opens. Dickerhoof said the goal is to open before the holiday season, possibly in time for back-to-school shopping, though an exact opening date has not been set.

“My sense is summer to fall,” he said. “It will depend on how fast our work goes.”

Scrap left from interior demo sits inside the former Staples store. Photo taken Aug. 11, 2025

Dickerhoof said the store is estimated to employ between 25 and 30 people across multiple shifts once open, with four to five employees typically on site at a time and increased staffing on weekends.

Riviera Enterprises leases the building to TJ Maxx and is also handling the construction. Dickerhoof said permits have been approved following coordination with city planning officials and the Wasco County Building Department.

The former Staples location has been vacant since the office-supply retailer closed in March 2025, reflecting broader changes in consumer shopping habits. Dickerhoof said bringing in a national clothing retailer is expected to increase foot traffic throughout the center.

Matt Dickerhoof seen here last July will lead the charge on the remodel when he arrives in town next week.

“Staples was selling a lot of products people started buying online,” he said. “This brings in a clothing and soft-goods store that will be really well received and good for the whole shopping center.”

City of The Dalles Economic Development Officer Jacob Anderson said the retailer is likely to draw shoppers from across the Columbia Gorge and help keep more spending local.

The property at 460 Mount Hood St. is owned by Riviera Enterprises LLC, which has held the shopping center next to Safeway for roughly two decades and manages several neighboring tenants, including Petco and Big 5.

About TJX Companies, from website

The TJX Companies, Inc., a Fortune 100 company, is the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide. Our mission is to deliver great value to customers every day. We do this by offering a rapidly changing assortment of quality, fashionable, brand name, and designer merchandise at prices generally 20% to 60% below full-price retailers’ regular prices on comparable merchandise.

We operate over 5,000 stores across nine countries, including TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Homesense, and Sierra, in the U.S.; Winners, HomeSense, and Marshalls in Canada; TK Maxx and Homesense in Europe, and TK Maxx in Australia. We also operate e-commerce sites for TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Sierra in the U.S. and three sites for TK Maxx in Europe. Our value mission extends to our corporate responsibility efforts, which are focused on supporting our Associates, giving back in the communities we serve, the environment, and operating responsibly.