By Staff
LOADING UP Anita McGlothin takes the plastic covering off a load of boxes filled with merchandise for the new Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. McGlothin is one of 150 employees who will work in the 160,000-square-foot store that is set to open in March. Photo by Fredie Carmichael / The Meridian Star
By Fredie Carmichael/staff writer
Feb. 7, 2002
While Meridian's newest shopping center awaits the opening of Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, developers of the center are scrambling to find new tenants for space PetsMart will not occupy.
Lowe's is expected to open its doors for business during the first week of March in the Meridian Town Center the shopping center that houses the new Wal-Mart Supercenter just south of Interstate 20/59.
About 150 employees have already been hired and have been busy this past month stocking the 160,000-square-foot store with merchandise.
Ready to open
Anita McGlothin, who will work in commercial sales at Lowe's, said she's ready for the store to open.
Ryan Cox, Lowe's store manager, said his store has received a warm reception from the community and he hopes it will provide many services for its customers when it opens.
Cox said he is also happy with the location of his new store.
PetsMart backs out
Mattiace Properties of Jackson, the shopping center developer, is trying to find a tenant to fill the building where PetsMart was scheduled to be built in the building next to Office Depot.
Bob Flowers, executive vice president of Mattiace, said PetsMart officials backed out of coming to Meridian nearly three months ago.
Flowers, though, said the store's absence won't keep the new shopping center from thriving.
He would not identify potential occupants.
Mattiace has developed such shopping centers as The Junction in Jackson, which features Target; North Legency Square on County Line Road in Jackson; which features Pier 1, and several other shopping centers and malls in Mississippi Louisiana and Tennessee.
This is Mattiace's first project in Meridian.