Department store planned next to Home Depot on Gary Farms Boulevard

By Christopher Miller, cmiller@bgdailynews.com — 270-783-3246

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

This time next year, area shoppers will have another option in discount department stores. Kohls plans to open a location in spring 2005 on Gary Farms Boulevard, just south of Home Depot, according to Kenny Nealy, broker for Investors Realty & Management. On Monday, the company submitted detailed development plans of the site to the City-County Planning Commission of Warren County for approval at its May 20 meeting. Plans indicate the building will be 88,408 square feet with an optional expansion of 19,840 square feet. Main access to the store comes off Gary Farms Boulevard, and the site also fronts the southern side of a proposed Westpark Drive, which would be between Kohls and Home Depot. The 11.22-acre site would have 542 parking places. Up to 140 people could be employed at Kohls, Nealy said. Kohls operates about 600 stores in 37 states, according to business research company Hoovers. About half the stores are in the Midwest. The store offers moderately priced name-brand and private-label apparel, shoes, accessories and housewares. It also has centrally located cash registers that are designed to expedite checkout and keep staff costs down. Bob Irizarry, an assistant manager at Target, spoke about his companys future competition in Bowling Green. I think it would be welcome in the community, Irizarry said. Usually Kohls (stores) in Nashville are located next door to Targets. If anything, its more of a challenge. Dana Allen, general manager at Sears in Greenwood Mall, said Kohls would probably affect everyone in the mall but would also be up against stiff competition. Here the parking is great, and (customers) can shop all the stores in the mall, Allen said. Across from Kohls on Gary Farms Boulevard, IRM is also developing a 100,000-square-foot retail center, Nealy said. For Home Depot, the proposed new neighbors or, more specifically, the traffic theyll attract are good news. Its excellent for us and the community, said Roger St. Onge, general manager at Home Depot. The proposed Westpark Drive would connect Gary Farms Boulevard to the Campbell Lane intersection at Crossridge Street, and have a traffic light at each end. Off the future road, IRM will be developing some high density residential units and some offices, Nealy said. A Chick-fil-A is planned for the site next to the Southern Lanes bowling alley on Campbell Lane. Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700