N.S. Kohl’s targeting a fall opening
Construction moving along at a good clip
NORTH SMITHFIELD — It is starting to look like a race to the holiday season at the new Kohl’s department store going up at Dowling Village, as construction contractors near completion of the exterior of the 35,000-squarefoot store – the last large retail building at the multi-use development.
Daniel Vizuete’s Stucco Decoration, LLC’s, exterior contractors were found at the store late Thursday afternoon finishing a section of stucco surfacing near the main entrance of the now completely enclosed structure.
Vizuete reported about another two weeks of work will be needed on the exterior, leaving the rest of the project to contractors working on the still largely-open interior of the building.
Dowling Village developer Brian Bucci reported earlier that the store’s general contractor, Thomas Grace Construction Services of Minnesota, had used a “tilt-up” wall panel construction technique that had allowed a faster construction of the large building’s walls and roof.
The new Kohl’s is one of seven prototype locations the Wisconsin-based retailer is devel- oping to roll out it’s Omni Channel store sales concept that will combine in-store online kiosks and ordering with a more
efficient traditional store shopping setting.
Although larger than most other retail stores in the area, the new Kohl’s is significantly smaller than the typical 55,000-square-foot outlet in the store’s chain of 1,155 stores, according to Bucci.
North Smithfield Town Administrator Gary Ezovski said that all appears to be going well with the construction of the town’s next major retail store, with a completion date targeted for sometime in late fall.
“I am not aware that they are looking for anything from the town other than the usual inspection services,” Ezovski said.
The design of the store is also smaller than other Kohl’s stores, including the large store down Route 295 in Smithfield, but looking at what is taking shape near the Texas Roadhouse and Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants, it’s not small either, according to Ezovski.
“A lot of people in the area are looking for- ward to it opening and I also am happy to have Kohl’s in the development,” Ezovski said.
Completion of Kohl’s, along with an expected 88 units of condominium housing in the area near Lowe’s and Walmart, a planned office building and two smaller retailer locations, will put the finishing touches on Dowling Village as the town’s largest commercial property.
That will also help the town meet its other demands for services and needed improvements down the road, according to Ezovski. The addition of the new properties at Dowling Village could also be combined with development in available parcels like the land behind the former CD Burns building off Great Road, he noted, a property town studies have shown be capable of supporting a million square feet of new office or manufacturing space.
“We’ve got a lot of things helping us when it comes to paying the future bills for things like school improvements, upgrades to municipal building and sewer and water services,” he said.