Business growing in fertile Mall area Kohl’s, Old Navy among new stores setting up shop in Queen City

BANGOR – A flurry of development is occurring throughout the city in 2005 with many new businesses scheduled to open in the coming months in the Bangor Mall area and on Main Street and Broadway.

The Parkades minimall development, located on Stillwater Avenue across from the cinema complex, has already secured leases from several chains, including anchor store Kohl’s, a Wisconsin-based department store that sells name-brand clothing, home goods and small appliances.

“There are still four bays open that do not have any tenants,” said City Code Enforcement Officer Dan Wellington. “They’re 10,000-square-foot lots, though they could be split into two, or a wall could be knocked down to create one 20,000-square-foot lot.”

In addition to Kohl’s, Old Navy, Linen n’ Things and Gamestop have signed on.

Old Navy, a popular apparel and accessories retailer, will inhabit a 28,050-square-foot space, as will Linen n’ Things, which sells bedding and home accessories. Gamestop, which sells video games and entertainment software, will occupy a 5,000-square-foot store.

Rounding out the Parkades list is a Texas Roadhouse steakhouse franchise, shoe store Famous Footwear, and the arts and crafts supply chain A.C. Moore.

Wellington estimated that construction would be finished on the Parkade development by the end of the summer, and that stores like Kohl’s and Old Navy would begin stocking inventory and training employees in mid-August or early September.

“Two thirds of the stores in that building will be open for the 2005 Christmas season,” said Wellington.

The city-approved Widewaters development, located farther down Stillwater Avenue, has yet to announce any tenants, though Kevin Kane, a developer with Widewaters, said there had been some interest.

“My guess is that Widewaters will follow a similar timetable” with construction finished by the end of next summer and tenants ready to open for Christmas 2006, said Wellington.

“We are actively soliciting merchants,” Kane said Wednesday. “We’ve got a highway construction permit, and the city planning board has approved it, so now we’re just waiting on final [Department of Environmental Protection] approval. We’re optimistic we’re going to have the same success with them as we have had with the city.”

There also are rumblings from several other developers and corporations that new, even bigger developments and renovations may be in the works for the Bangor Mall area. Wellington speculates that local residents may yet see a Super Wal-Mart go up in the city.

“W.S. Developments has filed for a 60-acre development behind Blue Seal Feeds, all the way down to Country Hospitality [Inn],” Wellington said. “This is just my take, but I think Wal-Mart is still very interested in expanding, and Lowe’s wants to get up in this area as well.”

Lowe’s is the second largest hardware chain in the nation. In addition, Wellington said he would be watching out for what would happen to the Kmart on Hogan Road in the wake of the $11 billion merger of Kmart and Sears last November.

“I’d be curious to see how the KMart and Sears merger shapes up,” he said. “Kmart owns the Kmart building, and Sears owns the Sears building. If there’s a merger where only one of them continues to operate, I would think it would be more likely for the mall location to stay open than the Kmart location. But we will have to wait to see how it all pans out.”

Meanwhile, several smaller projects are underway in the city.

A new Chinese restaurant has been approved for the site of the old Burger King on Main Street. Wellington said he doesn’t know who has leased the site, but a sign recently erected in front of the building is advertising a restaurant called China Harbor.

“We have not met these folks, but we have been contacted by an engineer in regards to the building expansion site plan,” Wellington said. “It’s a large lot, well over an acre, but it’s very deep and very narrow. There will be some remodeling.” He did not know when the restaurant would open.

Amato’s, a Maine-based sandwich and Italian food chain, will move into the old Country Kitchen Bakery on Broadway. That building, located across from the Irving Mainway, is being remodeled.

Also, the Pizza Hut at the Bangor Mall is due to be demolished in the next few months with a completely revamped Pizza Hut going up in its place. The restaurant chain recently has shifted away from its old design in favor of a new “Italian bistro” style, featuring brick oven pizza and a casual dining atmosphere.

Wellington noted there were many other developments in the works in the city and that the rash of new businesses announced in the first half of 2005 could very well continue into the second half.