Furniture retailer Arhaus confirms that it will open a Jacksonville store next year in St. Johns Town Center, joining the Phase III store additions that will be anchored by Nordstrom.
Ohio-based Arhaus, pronounced "our house," will add its third Florida store at the Town Center in fall 2014, which is when upscale retailer Nordstrom intends to open its first Jacksonville location.
Arhaus spokeswoman Kimberly Clark said Thursday the two-story, 16,000-square-foot store will open at 4663 River City Drive.
Arhaus will be part of the new wing of stores under construction at the South Jacksonville shopping center.
The City has been reviewing construction plans for Nordstrom as well as for two buildings that will feature other retailers and connect the center to Nordstrom. The additions are at the southwest portion of the center.
St. Johns Town Center has said it intends to add 34,000 square feet of new retailers in the wing in addition to the two-story, 124,000-square-foot Nordstrom.
Arhaus is designed for what is called "Building N" on plans, extending from the Louis Vuitton store. It is a two-story, 19,400-square-foot building.
The other building, "Building M," is 16,600 square feet.
The buildings total 36,000 square feet, slightly more than originally stated.
No other retailers have been announced for the new buildings
Arhaus.com shows it has 43 stores.
Clark said the two Florida stores are in Palm Beach Gardens and Naples.
"All new locations follow suit with an assortment of product made by independent craftsman all over the world," Clark said in an email.
She said Arhaus Chairman and CEO John Reed states that the company offers "the right combination of designs that Americans are comfortable living with and decorating their homes with, and we merchandise them in the kind of environment that our customers not only feel inspired by, but comfortable shopping in."
She said stores range from 13,000 to 35,000 square feet in size.
Clark said that each store offers the retailer's "one-of-a-kind designs and timeless classics including: sofas, sectionals and chairs wrapped in organic, leather and custom order fabrics; dining tables and chairs for indoors and out; antiques and replicas; bedroom furniture and private label bedding collections; library and office appropriate pieces; wall units and an assortment of media centers for high-tech gadgets; and a large assortment of seasonal accessories."
She said the interior architectural details feature skylights, a river rock fireplace, hand-painted murals, and a combination of distressed oak and stone flooring, as well as signature display elements such as the Arhaus "chair wall" showcasing dining seats and an "accessory column" stacked with seasonal soft goods and glasswork.
Arhaus was started in 1986 in Cleveland by father and son Jack and John Reed and is named after Denmark's port city, Aarhus (pronounced ar hoos), she said.
The company is privately owned and operated.
Arhaus continues to work directly with artisans worldwide, while more than 60 percent of the assortment is made in the United States, according to Reed.
"We buy from markets in Paris and even from village shops in Indonesia," says Chief Creative Officer Gary Babcock in the information sent by Clark.
Artisans maintain the retailer's original commitment never to use wood from endangered rainforests. "Whenever possible, we rely on renewable and recycled materials to make anything from a single bench, to a glass vase," Babcock said.
According to the company, almost half of its collections are made of recycled material.
St. Johns Town Center has said the new wing will include an estimated eight stores, which will be announced later this year. Site construction has begun.
Developers Simon Property Group and Ben Carter Properties said the wing, the center's Phase III, will encompass more than 158,000 square feet of retail space.
Center General Manager Angela Crowder said in June that national and local retailers have committed to the new phase and many will be new to the market.
St. Johns Town Center will share Phase III updates through StJohnsTownCenter.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @StJohnsTownCtr.
St. Johns Town Center is a 1.2 million-square-foot retail and restaurant center at Butler Boulevard and the Interstate 295 East Beltway. It has 11 anchor stores and more than 175 specialty stores and restaurants.
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