Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 30, 1995 TAG: 9511300034
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Attisano has been circulating a petition for the last three weeks requesting that a Target store come in as the mall's new anchor, taking over the space left vacant by Roses department store. So far, approximately 800 people have signed the petition urging the Minnesota-based discount department store to take a look at Blacksburg. The goal is to send petitions with 2,000 signatures to the company.
"There is nothing left in Blacksburg except the little downtown shops," said Attisano, who owns A-1 with three other people. A pile of petitions sits on his front counter, heralded by a fluorescent green sign marked "please read our petition."
Carolyn Brookter, a Target spokeswoman, said the company receives similar petitions a few times a year. While the company welcomes such efforts, Brookter said it does not necessarily mean the company will look at the University Mall site or the New River Valley in the near future.
Roses closed its doors in the summer of 1994, marking yet another departure of a department store retailer. Heironimus, Kmart and Leggett also closed their Blacksburg stores, but all three relocated to Christiansburg's crowded U.S. 460 retail corridor.
Carl McDaniels, a Virginia Tech professor who is helping circulate the petitions, said Blacksburg residents are tired of fighting traffic in Christiansburg just to buy necessities. Target, which sells everything from clothing and housewares to hardware and pet supplies, would serve that need, he said.
"I think if they'd [Target] come and look at Blacksburg and look at the potential market and the absence of competing stores, they'd find this an attractive location," McDaniels said.
Target is seriously looking at about 200 to 300 sites throughout the country, Brookter said, limiting the number of new sites the retailer will look at for the next few years.
"They're [petitions are] very complimentary but unless it's someplace we're looking at anyway, it's usually put on the back burner," she said. "That's not to say we won't be looking at that community in the future."
Target stores, a division of Dayton Hudson Corp., has 673 stores in 33 states. None of those locations are in Virginia.
The company plans to announce several store openings in Virginia next week but Brookter would not supply specific locations. Potomac Mills and Fredericksburg are serious contenders, while stores in Roanoke, Richmond and Tidewater have been mentioned as possibilities.
While University Mall management is encouraging the petition drive, its main goal is to fill the empty space. The Roses logo and business hours are still posted on the glass doors, boxes are piled in a corner and two cashier's booths remain, giving the space a painfully deserted look at the far end of the mall.
Mickey Clark, a spokesman for Kane Realty Corporation, said the vacant area likely will be divided up for offices or other nonretail uses. An announcement of new tenants could be made early next year, he added. Kane Realty took over management of University Mall from EBL&S Property Management a month ago.
"We are going to increase the value of that mall in the way that makes the most sense," said Clark, who works from Kane's corporate office in Raleigh, N.C. "We have not ruled out any possible use."
Judy Tullius, University Mall manager, said that while dividing the space is a definite possibility, Kane's leasing department will continue talks with Target and will contact other discount department stores about the space.
"My first visit there [University Mall] meeting tenants, the one thing they told me is they really need a general merchandiser," Tullius said.
Staff Writer Kenneth Singletary contributed to this story.
by CNB