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Lowe's, Kohl's set to open next week

Published Feb 26, 2005.

Reprinted with permission of the Rankin Ledger

By Jason S. Hooper

jhooper@rankinledger.com

Shoppers will soon claim another corner of Old Fannin Road and Lakeland Drive.

Lowe's and Kohl's are scheduled to open next week, the first of about 40 businesses that will make up Lakeland Commons on the northwest side of the intersection. Hobby Lobby, Babies R Us and Party City are some of the businesses that will occupy the Flowood shopping center.

"We're not duplicating retail that's already here," Flowood Mayor Gary Rhoads said. "It helps to give people different choices on where to shop."

Texas-based developer Trademark Property is building and leasing space in Lakeland Commons. Tony Chron, Trademark senior vice president of development, said other stores will open beginning in late April.

Chron said Trademark chose the area because of the success of Dogwood Festival Market and Flowood's overall growth. Chron said the location looks to be the "dominant intersection in the Jackson metro area market for many years to come."

But with new stores and more shoppers comes more traffic. Two new stoplights have appeared around Lakeland Commons — one on Lakeland Drive between Laurel Park Apartments and Lowe's. The other is on Old Fannin Road between the Dogwood Promenade entrance next to Kroger and the east side of Lakeland Commons.

The lights "are necessary to allow the volume of traffic generated by the developments to safely enter Lakeland Drive and Old Fannin Road," said Wes Dean, state traffic engineer.

Dean said the Lakeland Drive light will be operational Monday at 10 a.m. Rhoads said the Old Fannin Road light should be turned on at about the same time.

Flowood will ask the Mississippi Department of Transportation to set the Old Fannin light's timing to coordinate with the other lights and keep traffic flowing smoothly, Rhoads said.

Lowe's will be open for business Tuesday. Its grand opening with be the following day, said manager Ray Pitts. Kohl's will be open for business Sunday. Its grand opening is scheduled for March 3.

Lowe's manager Ray Pitts said the home improvement store is 116,000 square feet with a 30,000 square-foot garden center. He said the store carries everything tied to home improvement.

Pitts said all that remains is to finish training the store's more than 150 employees and touch up the store. Merchandise is stocked on the shelves awaiting customers.

Kohl's sells clothing for men, women and children, as well as jewelry, beauty and home items. Bob Cox, district manager for Kohl's stores, said Kohl's chose Flowood because of the area demographics and the area's growth. "We're a family retail store that attracts a lot of moms 24-54," he said.

Kohl's customers can expect a style reflective of other department stores, but with fewer departments, more depth in styles and colors, and a centralized checkout, Cox said.

The announced 10 stores are only a quarter of those that will call Lakeland Commons home. Chron said that about 40 total businesses will locate there. Trademark is negotiating with several retailers and restaurants, he said. A Holiday Inn Express is also being constructed at Lakeland Commons.

Across Old Fannin Road, Dogwood Promenade continues to grow. Electronics store Best Buy has announced that it will be an anchor in Dogwood Promenade.

Across Lakeland, another development is being planned for the remaining corner of the intersection.