Second furniture store in strip mall expected to create 60 new jobs in area
BY CHUCK WILLIAMS
Staff Writer
A new furniture store will be locating in Columbus Park Crossing next summer.
Ashley Furniture Homestore will open on Whittlesey Boulevard next to the hhgregg store, the developer said Friday.
“We are excited to bring this first-class furniture component to an already dynamic regional hub of retail opportunity,” said Stella E. Shulman, executive vice president of The Jordan Co. “It will complement the mix of existing stores, offering something for everyone. Columbus Park is attracting people from the neighborhood, from throughout Columbus, and from all across West Georgia and East Alabama.”
It will be the second furniture store in Columbus Park Crossing. The La-Z-Boy Galleries was in the first phase of construction in 2002.
The new store will create 60 new jobs and require about $5 million in capital investment. Since Columbus Park Crossing opened, more than 2,000 jobs have been created at the more than 60 stores and restaurants.
More to come
Shulman said The Jordan Co. is talking to another major retailer not in the Columbus market. That retailer, which she declined to identify, will be located on the property next to Ashley Furniture.
“Hopefully, we will be in a position to announce another deal by early 2014,” Shulman said.
The Ashley Furniture store will be owned by Turner Furniture of Columbus LLC, based out of Thomasville, Ga. It will lease the building from The Jordan Co. in a deal similar to the one exercised by hhgregg, an electronics and appliance store.
Ashley Furniture Industries Inc., is a privately owned company based in Arcadia, Wis. It was founded in 1945 and operates more than 260 Ashley Furniture Homestores in the U.S., Canada and Japan. The stores feature Ashley manufactured products.
Last month, Ben Carter Properties, the primary developer for Columbus Park Crossing, announced several new stores and restaurants. The new stores under construction are Petco, T.J. Maxx, Kirkland’s and Ulta cosmetics store. Bonefish Grill, a seafood restaurant, also is under construction.
Kohl’s department store opened earlier this month. A Wal-Mart SuperCenter and Sam’s Club are under construction and will open next year.
Contact Chuck Williams at 706-320-4485 or chwilliams@ledger-enquirer.com
