Mervyn's Gets Ready For Move

The wrecking ball already is swinging at three closed Frederick & Nelson stores slated to reopen soon as Mervyn's, and construction of a fourth Mervyn's will begin soon at Southcenter in Tukwila.

"The ink was barely dry on the paper when Mervyn's started demolition," said Linda Stribling, Everett Mall general manager.

Renovation began in December at Everett and in January at Tacoma Mall, said Rebecca Mack, a spokeswoman for Hayward, Calif.-based Mervyn's, a Dayton Hudson Corp. subsidiary. Details still need to be worked out at the Capitol Mall store in Olympia, Mack said.

All three stores, which were purchased from Frederick & Nelson several months ago for about $11.5 million, are scheduled to open July 19, Mack said. Mervyn's tries to open several stores at once to take best advantage of its advertising and promotion efforts.

The store slated for construction at Southcenter, however, will not open until Oct. 25, Mack said. The Southcenter store will be part of an expansion at the shopping center, which includes adding a wing south of the J.C. Penney store.

The three stores purchased from Frederick & Nelson are much larger than typical Mervyn's stores and will be some of the largest in the chain, Mack said.

The Everett store is close to an existing South Everett Mervyn's, which will close when the mall store opens. Billionaire Laurence Tisch has offered to buy R.H. Macy & Co., sources confirmed today. D 7