A startup furniture outlet will boost Pelham’s economy and fill a long-vacant building off U.S. 31, said Pelham Mayor Don Murphy.

Stacks Furniture Outlet recently purchased the former Pelham Wal-Mart building behind the Auto Zone car parts store near the Pelham-Alabaster line.

The company will use the entire 130,668-square-foot building to house its first store, which will focus on selling discounted furniture and home accessories, Murphy said.

“That building has been vacant going on three years now,” Murphy said. “This is going to be a one-of-a-kind furniture store. This is the company’s first store in the country.”

Stacks Furniture will be owned by Chip Miskelly, owner of the Jackson, Miss., based Miskelly Furniture store chain, and Robert Kirchmeyer, Stacks’ chief executive officer.

The duo chose the former Pelham Wal-Mart location because it was large enough to house their furniture showroom, and because it is in close proximity to large population centers in Shelby and Jefferson counties, Murphy said.

“They tried to find the best location around here, and they chose Pelham,” Murphy said. “They are going to take that entire building.”

To help staff the new store, Stacks recently held an employment expo at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover. During the expo, Stacks executives interviewed hundreds of potential employees from across the region.

“It looks like about 100 or 150 people will be working there,” Murphy said. “They will have 50 salesmen or so on the floor.”

The large former Wal-Mart facility, which was built in 1995 and features 820 parking spaces, was vacated shortly after the Wal-Mart Supercenter was constructed in northern Pelham several years ago.

Because the building has been empty for about three years, filling it will bring a much-needed sales tax boost to the city, Murphy said.

“It will be a big help to both Pelham and Alabaster, and even Shelby County,” Murphy said. “This is a shot in the arm for Pelham. People will come from Vestavia Hills, over the mountain and even Birmingham to shop here.

“We are just real tickled to have them coming here,” Murphy added. “This will help all the businesses around the city.”