Bath & Body Works will replace the closed Rue21 at River City Marketplace, boosting the soap, lotion, scent and candle company to nine stores in Northeast Florida.
Landlord Kimco Realty Corp. shows Bath & Body Works in Space 54, next to Old Navy. Jericho, New York-based Kimco owns the shopping center through Ramco Jacksonville LLC.
Kimco Realty bought RPT Realty in January. RPT Realty was Ramco’s corporate name.
River City Marketplace is in North Jacksonville, at Interstate 95 and Airport Center Drive.
The city is reviewing a permit application for contractor Elder-Jones Inc. of Bloomington, Minnesota, to remodel the 3,255-square-foot store at 13141 City Station Drive for Bath & Body Works at an estimated project cost of $225,000, which is subject to change as the review is completed.
Plans indicate the store will be a combined Bath & Body Works and White Barn, a sister company that sells candles and home and car scents.
GreenbergFarrow is the architect.
Bath & Body Works is based in Columbus, Ohio.
Bath & Body Works has eight stores in Northeast Florida comprising locations in St. Johns Town Center, Southside Commons, Riverplace Shopping Center, The Avenues mall, and in South Beach Regional shopping center in Jacksonville Beach, the Orange Park Mall, and two in St. Augustine in Cobblestone Village and in the St. Augustine Premium Outlets.
River City Marketplace, with more than 80 retailers, is anchored by BJ’s Wholesale Club, Walmart, Lowe’s, Burlington and Sportsman’s Warehouse. It also has Florida’s only Duluth Trading Co. location.
Pittsburgh-based teen fashion retailer Rue21 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this year, its third bankruptcy filing, and closed all of its 540 stores nationwide.
Law firm Goulston & Storrs, with offices in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., said on goulstonstorrs.com that it represented Canadian retailer YM Inc. in the acquisition of Rue21 intellectual property assets out of Chapter 11 and that YM Inc. plans to open more than 120 Rue21 stores.
So far, Rue21.com shows that the retailer has reopened or will soon open at least 59 stores, including three in Florida in Melbourne Square Mall, Edison Mall in Fort Myers and Tanger Outlets Daytona Beach.