Nordstrom Inc. has declared the opening date for its first store in Jacksonville – Oct. 10, near the start of all-important fourth-quarter of the year that includes the critical holiday shopping season for retailers.
Nordstrom is developing a two-story department store at St. Johns Town Center, which also is adding about eight other stores in the new wing that is anchored by the Seattle-based fashion specialty retailer.
Oct. 10 is a Friday, which makes for a weekend of opening events.
To prepare, Nordstrom is hosting a tile-painting party for Jacksonville area children whose artwork will create the floor tiles in the store’s Kids’ Wear department.
Nordstrom said 200 children ages 5-12 will hand-paint colorful ceramic tiles to be permanently installed in the store. The painting event is scheduled 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. May 17 at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
Reservations for the Children’s Tile Painting Party are $50 per child. For information, call (904) 757-4463, extension 196, or visit jacksonvillezoo.org. The registration includes zoo admission.
The event is expected to raise $10,000 to split between The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens for children’s programming and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
Participating children will be invited to Nordstrom’s opening weekend for a reception to find their tiles on the floor of the Kids’ Wear department.
Nordstrom is building an almost 130,000-square-foot store at 4835 Town Crossing Drive in St. Johns Town Center, the Southside open-air center at Butler Boulevard and Gate Parkway.
It also will feature an Ebar coffee shop and a Bazille Café and bar.
The chain was founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle and today operates 260 stores in 35 states, including 117 full-line stores, 140 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques and one clearance store.
A Nordstrom Rack has opened at The Markets at Town Center, adjacent to the St. Johns Town Center. The Rack store is near the full-line Nordstrom.
St. Johns Town Center shares Phase III updates through its website StJohnsTownCenter.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @StJohnsTownCtr.
Black Knight Financial Services joins Downtown skyline
The new name for Lender Processing Services is joining the Downtown Northbank skyline.
“Black Knight Financial Services” is the name that is being posted at 601 Riverside Ave. Brown Enterprises is the contractor that will put up the two signs at a cost of $76,670 each, for a total $153,340.
The city approved the sign permits Thursday. They specify that the Black Knight signs will replace “Lender Processing Services.”
The change stems from a company buyout.
In December, shareholders of Lender Processing Services Inc. approved the company’s buyout offer from Fidelity National Financial Inc. LPS’ operations were merged with a Fidelity subsidiary called ServiceLink into a new company, Black Knight Financial Services Inc. Investment firm Thomas H. Lee Partners L.P. bought 35 percent of Black Knight, with Fidelity retaining the other 65 percent.
Love’s Travel Stops eyes North Jacksonville site
Love’s Travel Stops is designing a truck-stop plaza at southeast Interstate 95 and Pecan Park Road.
Plans filed with the city show the Oklahoma City-based company would develop a 20,000-square-foot center on 13.7 acres that would include 82 trailer spaces along with eight diesel fueling and 16 car fueling locations.
The building would include a convenience store restaurant sandwich shop and fast-food, which a plan identified as Subway and McDonald’s. An 8,000-square-foot tire shop to serve trucks already is on-site.
The engineer is Adkinson Engineering.
Love’s was founded 50 years ago in Watonga, Okla., near Oklahoma City, and is privately held by the Love family.
It has four brands, including the Love’s Travel Stops, which are interstate highway travel centers, and Love’s Country Stores, which are convenience stores.
It also owns the Gemini Motor Transport petroleum fuel hauler and the Love’s Truck Tire Care for tire care and roadside assistance
It operates more than 300 retail sites in 39 states and generates annual revenue of more than $26 billion.
Love’s has seven locations in Florida.
Another day, more dollar stores
Dollar General and Family Dollar are closing in on two more stores.
Dollar General developer Concept Development LLC is demolishing four structures for what appears to be construction of a Dollar General on 1.02 acres at northeast Lem Turner Road and Clyde Drive. Like the others, it is a 9,100-square-foot store.
Family Dollar filed plans for an 8,320-square-foot store at Normandy Boulevard and Blair Road.
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