stores were fast becoming dominant in (lawn supplies, hardware, and the like), and in turn leased the top two floors of its flagship store to the Western Electric Company for use as office space. Kresge-Newark also took a lead in many civic improvements and was active in the early planning of the Gateway Center (which opened long after the store's demise). The store also formed an alliance with Asbury Park-based Steinbach. In 1964, with it clear that his heirs had no desire to take over the department store business, the Kresge Foundation sold the stores to David Chase, and they were rebranded Chase-Newark. In 1967 Chase-Newark announced it was closing, and four selling floors of the Newark flagship were leased to the Two Guys chain. The two branch stores were closed at this time and the downtown Newark location reopened as a Two Guys unit in the fall of 1967. Further reading "The Big 3 Department Stores, Their Life & Times" at www.oldnewark.com References Companies based in Newark, New Jersey Defunct department stores based in New Jersey Defunct companies based in New Jersey