The Jonesboro retail center formerly occupied by Kroger will be rebranded as Centre Court Plaza and is pre-leased to Burlington and Planet Fitness, which are opening their first locations in the region.
Burlington and Planet Fitness will fill the entire 62,000 SF available in the plaza. Gary Harpole, managing partner at Halsey Thrasher Harpole, the Jonesboro commercial real estate firm handling the deal, said building was purchased July 2, and demolition crews moved began work at the site that afternoon.
"We are on a very aggressive demolition and construction schedule," Harpole said. "When you survey who shoppers in this area wanted, Burlington was at the top with a group of elite retailers. I think being able to bring them here shows the strength of the Jonesboro market."
Burlington will occupy 45,000 SF of the building, at 1725 S. Caraway Road, supporting 50-100 new jobs. The clothing, accessories and home store will open in the fourth quarter of 2015. Planet Fitness, a health club franchise, will open alongside Burlington.
Although Jonesboro's shopping and retail district has expanded to other parts of the city, Harpole said the Centre Court Plaza location remains a hub.
"Caraway has still remained part of the core of the primary retail district," Harpole said. "It carried the entire weight for decades, but even with the expansion of that district to include Red Wolf [Boulevard], Burlington and Planet Fitness have reaffirmed the Caraway corridor as still one of most vibrant areas economically in the city."
Harpole said Halsey Thrasher Harpole just completed a new center, Key Place, on Highland Drive and has other potential projects in the vicinity. The firm is also developing 40 acres known as Centre Park on the future I-555 and Greensborough Village on 200 acres on Hwy 49 North.
