The commercial appeal of property between Sandy City Hall and the South Towne Mall has been so obvious, it might as well have been painted with a giant bull's-eye.
Soon there will be a real Target on the 36-acre site - and a huge one at that.Target Stores, the Minneapolis-based discount retailer, has plans to build a 186,000-square-foot Super Target, according to city officials and the developer of South Towne Mall.
The store, which could include a grocery, would anchor the planned 300,000-square-foot South Towne Marketplace. The development, touted as a "power center," could also include a Barnes & Noble Bookstore, TJ Maxx, Gart Sports, a Montgomery Ward auto service center and a large restaurant, according to the developer.
"We're excited about the whole project, and we're happy that Target is part of it," said Tim Bruce, senior vice president of real estate for the Chicago-based Equity Properties and Development Limited Partnership. The company built and owns the mall, and has developed or sold adjacent commercial property.
The South Towne Marketplace, which is in the process of gaining city approval, would sit west of State Street at about 10200 South.
Carolyn Brookter, a spokeswoman for Target, said the company has not committed itself to including a grocery in the Sandy Super Store.
"I can't confirm what it's going to be because at this point there's no final decision" by the company, she said.
Brookter said Target might build stores in Centerville, Ogden and the Taylorsville area.
The South Towne Marketplace is just one of a number of pending arrivals to the area near Sandy City Hall.
Montgomery Ward is expected to break ground next month on its 97,000-square-foot store to be built onto the South Towne Mall. A fifth major department store is destined for the mall in the near future, Bruce said.
Wal-Mart is expected to open on the east side of State Street in April. A TGI Friday restaurant is under construction, and Chili's is also considering building a restaurant in the area, Bruce said.
The city is also courting what it calls a "major" electronics company and another large company interested in locating its corporate headquarters here.
"We've just got so many people looking at this area all the sudden," said George Shaw, city planning director.