Not a done deal, but Kohl's may be coming to Valley Mall

By Mai Hoang
Yakima Herald-Republic

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YAKIMA, Wash. -- Kohl's, a much-desired department store for Yakima Valley shoppers, is now a prime candidate to occupy the former Gottschalks space at Union Gap's Valley Mall.

CenterCal Properties, the Portland-area owner of the mall, names the Menomonee Falls, Wis., department store in its environmental review checklist for a 15,000-square-foot expansion of the existing Gottschalks space, said Mark Reynolds, development coordinator for Union Gap.

The vacant retail space is currently about 50,000 square feet.

Jim Lemon, Union Gap's mayor, said while he's excited about the prospect for the additional sales tax revenue that the store could bring, he's didn't want to comment further than that.

"I've heard a lot of things are coming," he said. "Until it's here, I don't like to speculate. I'm just really reluctant to say anything until I see it."

Kohl's, a mid-range retailer, has been one of the few retailers to grow during the recession as its competitive prices have appealed to budget-conscious shoppers.

According to the Wall Street Jour-nal, Kohl's was the fourth-largest department store chain in the U.S. in 2009, with revenues of $17.2 billion.

The company opened 55 new stores between November 2008 and October 2009 and expects to open 30 more stores in 2010, according to the company's recent financial filings.

A Union Gap store will likely not be one of those 2010 openings.

Depending on the time it takes to get the necessary city planning approvals and complete lease negotiations, Kohl's could open in the spring of 2011, a target date mentioned by CenterCal CEO Fred Bruning.

With CenterCal still in the final stages of the negotiation process, Bruning would not comment about whether Kohl's will ultimately end up in the Gottschalks space.

A Kohl's spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail Thursday that the de-partment store has not announced any plans to open a store in Union Gap and does not comment on any speculation of a possible store.

And though the planning document is a key indicator of what's to come, past events show that plans can change quickly.

For several months last year, it appeared that clothing retailer Forever 21 would occupy the space after it won the lease for the Valley Mall Gottschalks along with several other former Gottschalks locations in a bankruptcy auction.

But the deal fell through late last year, allowing CenterCal to pursue other opportunities.

 

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



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