Burlington Coat Factory plans to open a new location at 4131 Meridian St. in Bellingham, where a Cost Cutter grocery store closed last year.
Bill Cummings, a senior project manager with the company, said the proposal is currently in the bidding process, but construction is expected to begin by April 1.
The store’s projected opening date is Oct. 10, he said, although that target is subject to change. Cummings said Burlington typically holds “soft” openings for its new stores, then later hosts grand-opening events with marketing efforts and charity giveaways.
Further details on the new store are expected to be made available by the company as the project moves closer to completion.
Burlington is a national retailer headquartered in Burlington, N. J. It operates more than 500 stores nationwide and in Puerto Rico.
While known for their extensive selections of discount and off-brand coats, typical Burlington stores also feature a variety of apparel, including children’s items, as well as furniture, jewelry, linens and shoes. The company competes nationally with other similar chains, such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.
Burlington opened a new location in the Everett Mall last fall. It also has stores in Edmonds, Auburn, Spokane, Tacoma and Kennewick.
Cummings said the company plans to eventually open additional stores in northwest Washington and elsewhere around the region, including possible locations in Burlington—of Skagit County—and in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The company’s new Bellingham location will bring another large, national retailer to the city’s Meridian Street area. With the past year, companies such as WinCo Foods, Sports Authority and Sears have opened stores nearby.
Cummings said converting the nearly 73,000-square-foot location, which was among the largest stores once held by the Cost Cutter chain, will be an extensive process. Along with interior remodeling, the store’s facade will get a complete facelift, he said.
“It’s going to take a lot of effort,” Cummings said. “It’s going to take about 16 weeks to get it turned around.”
Evan Marczynski, associate editor of The Bellingham Business Journal, can be reached at 360-647-8805, Ext. 5052, or evan@bbjtoday.com.
