Menards has purchased the former Circuit City store adjacent to its Far West Side home improvement store, but company officials have not said what they plan to do with the space.

According to the city assessor's office, the Eau Claire-based retailer purchased the 43,000-square-foot store in August for $3.6 million after Circuit City earlier this year filed for bankruptcy and later closed its stores nationwide.

The store, at 450 Commerce Drive, has remained empty and is assessed at $5.3 million.

"The public and local real estate community continue to express an interest in the property and inquire about our plans for the space," said Jeff Abbott, a spokesman for Menards. "At this time, we are evaluating all of our options but will put the property to a useful purpose."

Menards, which opened its Commerce Drive store in 1988, sold the land for the electronics store to Circuit City in 1995 for $1.2 million.

Tim Parks, a planner for the city of Madison, said his department has not received a proposal from Menards to expand its store into the former Circuit City space.

Ald. Paul Skidmore, who represents the area, said with continued development along the Mineral Point Road corridor and a planned 254-acre research park by UW-Madison at the corner of Highway M and Mineral Point Road, the Circuit City property could be desirable for Menards to expand or for another retailer.

"It wouldn't surprise me if they took it over," Skidmore said. "It's kind of a prime area."

Menards has 252 stores in 12 states, including 43 in Wisconsin and three in the Madison area. The company opened its store near East Towne in 1996 and is expanding its Monona store, which opened in 1984.

In 2007, the company completed an expansion project at its Commerce Drive store that increased the store's size from 96,000 to 225,000 square feet. But the expansion and purchase of the former Circuit City property may not mean the company is done growing here, Abbott said.

"We will keep all of our options open as the city of Madison and the West Side continue to grow," he said.

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