Burlington Coat factory coming to Bettendorf

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By David Heitz | Friday, July 18, 2008 |

Burlington Coat Factory is planning to open a store at the former Joevan/Shopko site in Bettendorf. (Contributed photo from company’s Web site)

UPDATE: Burlington Coat Factory, a discount store that offers a variety of name-brand merchandise, has signed a letter of intent to anchor the $14 million Shops at Duck Creek development planned for the former Joevan/Shopko site in Bettendorf.

“I did not expect that large of an anchor tenant, but I think they will be great,” developer Curtis McDonald of Fairfield, Iowa-based McDonald properties said Friday. “We like them mainly because they offer a variety of products that aren’t available elsewhere in the Quad-Cities, or maybe available here and there but not all under one roof.”

Rick Bramble, a spokesman for Burlington Coat Factory, declined comment.

The retailer, which also has locations in Peoria and Rockford in Illinois, offers coats, home décor, baby items and more. The 80,000-square-foot Bettendorf store will occupy the former Shopko building, which will be refurbished.

The other buildings at the 12.5-acre site have been razed and will be replaced by four structures containing up to 12 stores, all of which will face a roundabout. Burlington Coat Factory and the first of the four smaller buildings, at 8,000 square feet, should be open by March.

Bettendorf Mayor Mike Freemire said he is pleased that Burlington Coat Factory will be the development’s anchor, adding that it will give Quad-Cities shoppers more diverse choices about where to spend their money. “It’s a solid company as an anchor, and a solid anchor will bring in solid traffic.”

In addition to Burlington Coat Factory, McDonald said he has letters of intent from two additional tenants. He declined to name them but said the other shops in the development will “cater to the immediate community” and will include “nice shops and a lot of nice places to eat.”

He expects Burlington Coat Factory to draw consumers from all over the Quad-Cities, however. “It’s a very central location.”

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the council sped up the process for finalizing its tax-increment financing, or TIF, agreement with the city. Normally it takes three readings of such agreements for them to become final, but at McDonald’s request, the council skipped the final reading.

When TIF agreements are used, the increased property taxes a project creates can be rebated to the developer to offset costs. About $2.47 million will be returned over the 11-year life of the TIF.

In a letter to the mayor and City Council, McDonald said he needed the TIF finalized to complete the financing process for the project.

David Heitz can be contacted at (563) 383-2202 or dheitz@qctimes.com.

ABOUT BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY

The roots of Burlington Coat Factory go back to 1924 with wholesale sales of women’s coats and junior suits. In 1972, the company opened its first outlet store in Burlington, N.J. Coats were the primary offering at the original Burlington Coat Factory, but over time the concept evolved into a one-stop shop for men’s and women’s suits, sportswear, shoes and accessories. Later, baby and youth departments were created. A linens department was added in 1987.

The company buys in bulk and takes a no-frills approach to its stores to pass on savings to the consumer. Many brand names and designer items are available. The closest stores to the Quad-Cities are in Peoria, Ill., and Rockford, Ill.

Source: Burlington Coat Factory

PREVIOUS STORY: Burlington Coat Factory, a discount store that offers a variety of name-brand merchandise, has signed a letter of intent to anchor the Shops at Duck Creek development planned for the former Joevan/Shopko site in Bettendorf.

“I did not expect that large of an anchor tenant, but I think they will be great,” said developer Curtis McDonald of Fairfield, Iowa-based McDonald properties. “We like them mainly because they offer a variety of products that aren’t available elsewhere in the Quad-Cities, or maybe available here and there but not all under one roof.”

The retailer, which also has locations in Peoria and Rockford in Illinois, offers coats, home décor, baby items and more.