news-record.com

RALEIGH - LEGO lovers are about to have a haven for their plastic building passions.

The Lego Store is coming to Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh.

The 2,000-square-foot store will open this summer, selling "just about every Lego product you can imagine," said company spokeswoman Julie Stern.

The store will be on the mall's lower level, near Center Court in the old Sharper Image spot.

Its arrival is one of the more positive bits of retail news in the area lately, with major chains such as Circuit City closing as the economy continues to sour.

The store is a bit of a coup for Crabtree. It will be the first Lego store in the Carolinas. There are only 23 nationwide. Stern said she didn't know why Raleigh was picked but said that the company tries to place stores in areas where interest in Legos is high.

''Raleigh is a good Lego market," she said.

Shoppers will be able to buy everything from a single Lego block to full building kits.

The store will have play tables, 8-foot Lego models for inspiration and the company's "Pick-A-Brick" wall that sells Legos out of bulk bins like candy.

And, if you're looking for a little inspiration, Lego stores routinely host "build events," where people come in and build LEGO projects. Occasionally, stores will also be visited by master builders, who are the ones who build life-like Lego statues.