A 14,000-square-foot “helpful place” that costs in excess of $5 million will soon be part of the Cathedral City neighborhood.

A grand opening is set for Ace Hardware in early June at 30025 Date Palm Drive, the former Fresh and Easy Grocery Store. It is the second Ace Hardware in the Coachella Valley. The other is in Palm Desert.

“Research, based on customer accessibility and the demographics, showed it was the best location,” said Michael Reinhardt, owner. “We have been working on this for more than a year.”

Hiring for 20 to 25 employees is already under way with preference being given to Cathedral City residents. A Job Fair is scheduled for March 15.

“Cathedral City is where my business is based,” Reinhardt said, explaining his preference for Cathedral City-based employees. “I’m a real fan of community involvement and sponsorship.”

ACE Hardware is has already agreed to sponsor the Easter Kidapalooza on April 1 in Downtown Cathedral City where 25,000 Easter Eggs will be given away.

Ace Hardware will bring its “more personal kind of helpful” and best brands like Craftsman, Weber, Valspar and Scotts to local homeowners and DIYers. Ace Hardware will provide solutions to everyday home maintenance needs through an extensive selection of products in categories such as paint, grilling and lawn and garden. In addition, customers can expect the personal, knowledgeable and helpful service that makes them feel like a neighbor

'Helpful Place' to Open in Cathedral CityThis is the first Ace store opened by Reinhardt. It will stock 30,000 products.

“Ace Hardware is committed to providing home maintenance solutions, neighborly advice and resources to residents in Cathedral City,” said Reinhardt. “We’re excited to be part of the community, and we look forward to making a positive impact for many years to come.”

Ace Hardware is a 90-year-old institution, known known as the place with the helpful hardware folks in thousands of neighborhoods across America, providing customers with a more personal kind of helpful.

With more than 5,000 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries currently operate 17 distribution centers in the U.S. and also have distribution capabilities in Ningbo, China; Colon, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Its retailers’ stores are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and approximately 60 countries.