While the Maas Brothers retail empire started downtown in 1886, the Maas Brothers Store for Homes opened in 1956 at 4131 Gandy Boulevard. It was long after Abe and Isaac Maas sold their enterprise to the Hahn Department in 1929. This 60,000-square-foot main store was carpeted with 40,000 square feet of floor covering and had over 100 living rooms and dining room areas to stage their furniture. The exterior was accented with a giant redwood panel display, a theme carried inside with repeated use of redwood panels. Over the years, thousands of square feet of warehouse space were added to the property.

In 1991, the retail giant merged with Burdine’s department store. With other mergers and acquisitions, the brand finally converted into Macy’s in 2005. As the brands changed, so did the name of the Home Store. In late 2020, Macy’s sold the 39-acre property to a California firm for $32 million, announcing their intention to lease the building and remain in business there. In late 2022, the company began closing the store, which will be demolished and replaced with the massive 3-building South Tampa Trade Center. Each building will be between 125,000 and 140,000 square feet.

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