Hagan Ace Hardware is rebuilding its Orange Park headquarters, breaking ground Sept. 17 on the 1022 Blanding Blvd. location that a fire destroyed in May 2025.

The locally owned chain's president, Bill Hagan, joined community members and employees at the site for a ceremony marking the start of construction. The new store is expected to be complete by June 2027, according to Clay Today.

"This community's been so good to us. We just can't wait to be back there for them again," Hagan said at the groundbreaking.

A hub for 11 Northeast Florida stores

The Blanding Boulevard location was more than a retail store. It served as headquarters for the Hagan family's 11 Ace Hardware stores across Northeast Florida and housed regional administrative staff. Marketing director Tera Lageman described it in January as the "main brain" for many of the company's computer systems, First Coast News reported.

When the building burned, it temporarily knocked several other Hagan locations offline. The company said it has since improved its technology infrastructure to better prepare for future emergencies.

Four agencies responded to the blaze

The fire started 10 minutes before closing in May 2025. The building was engulfed within minutes. Clay County Fire Rescue crews reached the scene in three minutes or less, joined by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, the Orange Park Fire Department and personnel from Naval Air Station Jacksonville. One firefighter was hospitalized for a heat-related emergency but was later released. Everyone inside the store escaped safely, First Coast News reported. The company said investigators did not determine a cause for the fire.

The store had been an Orange Park fixture for 45 years. Its loss rippled beyond the Hagan workforce. Steve Lynch, owner of Bite Me Hot Dogs, had operated his cart in front of the store. Lynch told First Coast News in January that his business dropped roughly 20% after the fire.

Staff and garden center cats expected to return

The company announced rebuild plans in January. Lageman said at the time that the new store would welcome back regional staff and employees reassigned to other locations. The store's garden center cats are also expected to return once construction wraps. King Charlie, one of the cats, died from a preexisting condition after the fire.

While the Blanding Boulevard store is under construction, customers can visit Hagan Ace Hardware at 1480 Park Ave. in Orange Park or 1305 N. Orange Ave. in Green Cove Springs.