Some say everything is cyclical. If that’s the case, then retail must also be part of the mix – at least at the Meadowbrook Mall.
Recently, plans were submitted to the City of Bridgeport for the return of Maurices at the community’s retail hub. And officials say they will likely be doing business in 2017 after leaving the same building well over a decade ago.
For those that aren’t aware, according to their Web site “Maurices is a leading specialty women's clothing store that stands for fashion, customer service, value, and quality. Inspired by the girl in everyone, in every size, we offer an array of styles in sizes ranging from 1-24. With styles to match your budget and occasion, our fashions are sure to make you look and feel your best.”
You can find more by visiting their Web site HERE. The store has more than 900 locations in the United States and Canada.
The new entry to the Meadowbrook Mall lineup will be going into the space formerly occupied by Gap. Gap had roughly 10,000 square feet of space at the facility and the plans submitted to the Bridgeport Community Development Department show the company to be utilizing 4,990 square feet – or roughly half.
“Maurices is a great national brand and we’re very happy to have them back and very happy to have them filling the space,” said Joe Bell, director of corporate communications for the Ohio-based Cafaro Company that owns the mall and retail space nationwide. “We’ve been working with others to fill the remainder of the space.”
“Ideally, you’d like to fill vacant space immediately, but it’s a process,” Bell continued. “The other important thing is that we want to make sure we bring in good brands that offer new and unique options to the clients that visit the mall.”
Bell and Spellman both anticipate the store opening in 2017. Spellman said it appears that store, which had plans designed by Rick Partika, AIA, will begin construction in January.
“What’s unique is that they were here before and there West Virginia presence evaporated until they returned to the University Town Centre Plaza in Morgantown,” said Spellman, who indicated the store will be on the Gap Kids side of the old Gap space. “I’ve done a little research on them and it appears the company has reorganized and has a new look. It’s a return of a familiar name, but I’m certain there will be some differences from the past.”
While the return to a building seems unique, Bell said it’s not completely unusual.
“Believe it or not, it’s not all that unheard of. There are many instances where various bands leave a shopping center, go down the street, go into a free standing building and then years later return to the closed-in mall or may even decide to go back to a place they were at before, which is the case here,” said Bell.
Bell said Cafaro is anticipating a Summer of 2017 opening.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows Community Development Director Randy Spellman reviewing the plans, while Cafaro's Joe Bell is shown below.
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