Voice Tribune - November 26, 2003
If you’ve driven down Taylorsville Road in Jeffersontown lately, you’ve probably noticed that something big is happening at the J-town Center, 9501 Taylorsville Road.
The shopping center, which was built in 1959, is currently undergoing a $5 million renovation and expansion, and has been renamed Jeffersontown Commons.
“This has always been an excellent location in the J-town community,” said developer Ron McGehee of Hagan Seay Properties. He added that renovations were necessary because the center had become dated, and many retailers had moved to other locations.
The Jeffersontown Commons project, which began in the summer of 2002, has included the old J-town 4 Theater, the construction of a freestanding CVS Pharmacy and the construction of a 15,000 square-foot retail building called West Shops.
Blockbuster Video, Subway, Cingular Wireless, Dr. Garner’s Vision Center, H&R Block and Twin Nails are now located in the West Shops building.
McGehee said that an East Shops building, with more than 15,000 square feet of retail space, may be built in late 2004 or early 2005.
According to McGehee, the renovation of the existing center will be complete by the end of November.
Existing tenants are PNC Bank, Save-A-Lot, Jazzercise, Lee’s Tae Kwon DO Academy, and Physiotherapy Associates.
New tenants include Providence Childcare & Preschool, Among Friends Quilt Shop, Dollar General Store, Visual Concepts, and Curves for Women.
The project also has included repaving he parking lot along with adding new landscaping, lighting and signage.
“I think it was something that was very needed,” said Kathy Klusmeier, administrator of Dr. Garner’s Vision World. “The whole project has been really good.”
Dr. Garner’s has been a shopping center tenant since 1965 and had to move to the back of the center for seven months while its old location was demolished and the West Shops building was constructed.
Klusmeier said that the center is a great location with easy access and that the renovations will attract more businesses to the center. Donna Burgan, a manager at Save-A-Lot, which has been in the center for about seven years, said the renovation was “great” and that she has seen a slight increase in business despite the construction.
“We’ve had this end of the center closed and that end closed … but overall, our business has probably increased,” said Burgan.
According to McGehee, the 66,000 square foot middle section of the center, which was formerly occupied by Yum! Brands Inc. offices and before that Target, still is available for rent sensitive large office users or for a large retailer.
The former site of J-town Bowl is also available. He said he would like to attract an upscale bowling alley operation to that space.
Jeffersontown Commons is owned by New Plan Excel Realty Trust. Hagan Seay Properties is a joint venture partner that is responsible for the complete redevelopment and leasing of the center.