UNION GAP -- After a string of bad news about retailers leaving, here's some good news: Bed Bath & Beyond is coming to Union Gap.

Bed Bath & Beyond is scheduled to open at the vacant Linens 'n Things space at the Valley Mall Plaza this spring.

Negotiations for the housewares store have been completed, and a lease for the 32,000-square-foot space is in the process of being signed, said Fred Bruning, president of CenterCal Properties, the Portland-area firm that owns the Valley Mall and Valley Mall Plaza.

"They know it will be a huge store for them," Bruning said.

A lease for Ulta, a cosmetics store that is also scheduled to open next spring, is also in the process of being signed. It will be located next door to Bed Bath & Beyond.

The upcoming opening is a major step forward for the mall, which has seen several tenants pull out in the last year. They include Linens 'n Things, Rex Appliance & TV, Corral West Ranchwear and, most recently, Columbia Steppe Northwest Coffeehouse.

And there was a period when potential tenants weren't even open to talking about new locations, Bruning said.

"Six months ago, virtually 99 percent of tenants were shut down for expansion because no one knew where the economy was going," he said. "By August, we started getting calls again."

Bed Bath & Beyond has thrived since Linens 'n Things, its main rival, filed for bankruptcy and closed more than 600 locations last year.

Despite the recession, the Union, N.J.-based retailer is in expansion mode. It currently has 950 locations and sees room for 400 new stores in the U.S. and Canada in the next year.

And now that other retailers have gone out of business -- Linens 'n Things included -- Bed Bath & Beyond has a glut of vacant spaces to choose from.

Its decision to open in Union Gap is significant, Bruning said.

"The word is getting out that Yakima/Union Gap is a strong retail market," he said.

And Yakima-area shoppers, meanwhile, have been eager to see more big-name retailers move in. The closest Bed, Bath & Beyond stores now are in Tri-Cities and Seattle.

Bruning pointed out that the Valley Mall has maintained strong profits this year, thanks to a mix of steady sales and rents that are much lower than other areas of the country.

CenterCal is also close to securing a lease for the Gottschalks space. It has been negotiating with a department store. CenterCal is hoping that negotiations and the subsequent construction would be completed in time for an opening in the spring of 2011.

* Mai Hoang can be reached at 509-577-7685 or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.