After absence of years, J.C. Penney appears ready to return

YAKIMA, Wash. -- It looks like the Yakima Valley will soon be home to a second J.C. Penney department store.

While the retailer has yet to make an official announcement, the city of Union Gap on Monday received construction documents and an application for a building permit.

The plan is for J.C. Penney to be built at the former Costco site at 1400 E. Washington Ave.

"Basically, my thoughts are that this is something that has been long-awaited by many people in the community," said Union Gap Mayor Jim Lemon. "It's been something that's been long-desired and long-awaited and people wanted it to return. It'll help more people shop here and provide a lot of jobs. This economy has been pretty tough."

J.C. Penney was an anchor store at the Yakima Mall, but it closed in 2003. The closest J.C. Penney store is in Sunnyside.

Valley Mall owner CenterCal Properties purchased the former Costco site for $4.2 million in August.

Fred Bruning, CenterCal Properties chief executive officer, said then that the proposed $40 million, 10-acre property -- Washington Plaza -- would include about 130,000 square feet in new retail space, with two main anchor tenants, a junior anchor and three smaller retail pads for bank and restaurant uses.

It's still unclear what will join J.C. Penney as a primary anchor on the property, Lemon said.

Bruning has previously said that one anchor tenant is a department store and the other is a sporting goods store. He could not be reached for comment Monday.

CenterCal has in recent weeks finished the demolition of the former Costco building. The plan is to have J.C. Penney ready to open by the fall of 2012, Lemon said.

Once finished, the 10-acre development has the potential to generate up to 350 new jobs and $40 million in taxable sales annually, Bruning said in August.

That's a fact not lost on Lemon.

"I see this as something that will really help us in 2013," he said. "We won't see those revenues until 2013. But it's revenue that will help us maintain and keep us the town where you come shopping.

"I think it will tend to enhance the surroundings and the other department stores, too. I see this complementing the other department stores we already have -- like Kohl's and Macy's. I see this as good news for the local jobs it will provide and the sales tax revenue we'll see trail along behind it."

* Assistant City Editor Scott Mayes can be reached at 509-577-7679 or smayes@yakimaherald.com.