Blackhawk Hardware’s New In-Store Slide Closed

Jessica Baryla, Brittney Melton,

The Latest (8/6/21):

Blackhawk Hardware’s new in-store slide is currently closed as they work to identify an insurer that can offer adequate coverage to protect their customers from any unlikely injuries while going down it, according to store officials.

“When the slide was installed, we did not anticipate any issues since we did receive prior confirmation and approval that it would be covered under our current insurance policy,” Blackhawk Hardware said in a Friday news release. “After receiving information following the installation, our insurance provider decided to rescind coverage, saying that the slide did not meet their initial understanding of its scale. Unfortunately, the slide will remain closed as we continue to explore other possibilities for insurance coverage to ensure that both the store and our customers remain protected.”

The store is welcoming ideas from the public on how they can save the slide and prevent its removal.

Original Story (7/8/21):

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (News Release) — Take a ride from houseware to hardware on Blackhawk Hardware’s new in-store slide.

The spiral slide is the latest milestoneΒ in Blackhawk Hardware’s recent 12,000-square-foot expansion that includes theΒ renovation and build-out of the store’s former basement. It standsΒ 14 feetΒ high, spanning from the first floor down to second level, and is 30.5 inchesΒ wide. Shaped like a corkscrew, the powder-coated aluminum slide features threeΒ tight turns as you zipΒ down to the bottomβ€”from housewares to hardware.

Eight-year-old Nolan Perez was the first personΒ to go down the slide. A twin who was diagnosed in utero with Hypoplastic LeftΒ Heart Syndrome, a congenital heart defect where the left side ofΒ the heart isΒ severely underdeveloped, Nolan is the face of all Levine Children’s Hospital’s Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) corporate campaigns andΒ programs in the Charlotte area, including Blackhawk Hardware. In his role as 2021 CMN Champion,Β Nolan advocates on behalf of Levine’s Children Hospital to raiseΒ funds to help other child patients like him.

The slide at Blackhawk is now open to allΒ shoppers. Height restrictions do apply.