New fashion retailer to open at Columbia Center

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.