Burlington Coat Factory Out At Pavilion -- State's First Outlet Mall To Be Sold

"Store closing" signs filled the windows this week at the Burlington Coat Factory, the last large retailer left at Tukwila's Pavilion Mall.

Now after two years of decreasing business, mall owners may soon post their own closing signs, ending 15 years of business for Washington's first factory outlet mall.

The mall's owners, two large California pension funds, are discussing the sale with possible buyers including MBK Northwest, the Portland branch of an Irvine, Calif.-based real estate developer. MBK officials could not be reached for comment. The sale is expected to close by the end of the year.

There was no word about the future of the mall, near Southcenter Shopping Center, surrounding shopping centers, and office buildings, but Tukwila City Planner Jack Pace said possible buyers have discussed completely redeveloping it. Most of the few remaining tenants plan to be out by the end of the summer.

Marshall's, one of two large stores that were left in the mall, closed last weekend. The Burlington Coat Factory closes today.

When the 211,000 square-foot mall opened in 1982, there were 49 stores. The Pavilion has been losing retailers steadily since the discount SuperMall of the Great Northwest opened in Auburn in 1995 with six times the amount of space.

The Nordstrom Rack, then the Pavilion's largest store, and The Dress Barn left for the SuperMall.

Now only six tenants remain. Stores with long-term leases are

being offered space in the adjacent Parkway Plaza, a strip mall with the same ownership and management as the Pavilion.

The California Public Employees Retirement System and the California State Teachers Retirement System bought Pavilion Mall, Parkway Plaza, and other properties in 1984 as part of their $315 million purchase of developer Jack Benaroya's holdings.