The Jackson City Council wants the company that owns The Junction, the Jackson shopping center anchored by Target and The Home Depot, to provide more information during an upcoming council meeting about its plans for the center.
The center’s owner wants to divide the retail property that is located between Target and The Home Depot into lots and common areas. The request excludes the outparcels of Red Lobster and Olive Garden.
Council members want to know more before they approve an ordinance accepting the final plat of The Junction, located at 6351 I-55 North, and authorize the mayor to sign it.
Robert Lee with the city of Jackson told council members that the owner of the center is in Arizona and it didn’t provide more specifics other than say dividing the property would allow more retail options. Lee could not recall the name of the company that owns the center.
Sandor, a privately held shopping center developer, lists The Junction as property it owns. Sandor has offices in Indianapolis, Indiana and Scottsdale, Arizona.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said he didn’t have any additional information about the matter.
“Obviously we have a concern as to what businesses fit in with the footprint of what’s there now,” he said. “We also have to look at their effort to make their space more attractive. They’re attempting to maintain business. We might not want to get in their way.”
The Junction also is the location of JOANN Fabric and Craft Store, PetSmart, Eyemart Express and other retailers. An Office Depot was once there but it shut down when the national retailer closed stores across the country.
Mattiace Properties Inc., led by President Andrew Mattiace, opened The Junction in 1996.
Numerous northeast Jackson homeowners’ associations oppose the center as a location for a tattoo studio.
The Jackson Planning Board voted to recommend to the city council that John Craig, who owns Profane Studio, be granted a conditional use permit. The city council is scheduled to vote on the matter on May 16.
