A popular
fashion retailer plans to open later this year at Columbia Center mall in
Kennewick.
Forever 21 will open a 12,000-square-foot
shop this
spring or summer next to the Victoria’s Secret, mall officials announced Jan.
16.
Headquartered
in Los Angeles, the women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing and accessory store is
known for offering the latest fashion trends at affordable prices.
Founded in
1984, Forever 21 operates more than 815 stores in 57 countries.
The announcement comes on
the heels of the abrupt closure of Old Country Buffet, located on mall property
at 2321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.
The buffet restaurant’s kitchen
equipment, ranging from double ovens to refrigerators, to a steel griddle to a
double fryer, were listed online for auction Jan. 15 at AuctionNation.com. The bidding ends Jan. 17.
A second Old Country Buffet restaurant a
mile away at 6821 W. Canal Drive remains open.
The mall will lose a longtime anchor
tenant when Sears
closes in late March.
But a new anchor tenant will be open to
shoppers later this year.
Dick’s Sporting Goods is building a
$7.5 million store where
the former Regal Cinemas used to be. The 45,138-square-foot
store is under construction and scheduled to open this fall.
The mall’s other anchor
stores — JCPenney and Macy’s (formerly The Bon Marché) — have been at the mall
since it opened 50 years ago. The jewelry retailer, Zales, also was an original
store, according to mall officials.
The mall celebrates its
50th anniversary this year.
“We have
reached an exciting milestone for the mall, while simultaneously seeing
continued expansion,” said Barbara Johnson, Columbia Center’s general manager,
in a news release. “In my tenure at the mall I have been fortunate to have been
a part of some exciting changes. This year will be so special to the mall and
the community as we reflect on 50 amazing years and look forward to many more.”
Mall officials invite the
public to send pictures of their memories at the mall over the years by using
tagging @ColumbiaCtrMall using the hashtag “#ColumbiaCenter50,” or by bringing
photos directly to the mall management office outside the mall between JCPenney
and Men’s Macy’s.
The mall will collect the photos and display them during a celebration
in October.