Barnes & Noble moves to Chesterfield Towne Center
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

Chesterfield Towne Center Barnes & Noble will open a new 32,892-square-foot bookstore at Chesterfield Towne Center next spring. Their current location on Huguenot Road will close.

Chesterfield Towne Center will soon begin construction of a 32,892-square-foot Barnes & Noble store inside the mall. The store will replace the United Artists theater complex by next spring. Barnes & Noble will front on the existing food court at the mall, causing the relocation of some smaller tenants.

The change will help the mall compete with the proposed Westchester Commons retail center a few miles west at the intersection of Midlothian Turnpike and Route 288. The Barnes & Noble store on Huguenot Road across from the mall will close.

"Barnes & Noble is a leading book, music, DVD and stationary retailer, and we are extremely pleased to be welcoming them to Chesterfield Towne Center," said Bill Siebenaler, senior property manager. The bookseller attracts upscale shoppers who often linger during their shopping experience.

"Barnes & Noble will take some space in the food court," said Marketing Manager Denise Smith.

There are no current plans to replace the mall's theaters. Several years ago when Commonwealth 20 opened at Commonwealth Centre, movie fans flocked to that location.

"The existing theater facility needs significant renovations and updating to offer the features that people have come to expect when they enjoy a movie, such as stadium seating, larger screens and better acoustics," explained Siebenaler. "The current building could not be reconfigured to accommodate these features."

Barnes & Noble will be accessible from the mall parking lot and the food court inside.

"We are thrilled to be a part of Chesterfield Towne Center," said Howard Spiva, Barnes & Noble's director of real estate.

For years now, Chesterfield Towne Center has served as a central location to meet friends, socialize and shop. The mall has pursued the marketing concept of being a town center for the county.

Smith declined to say if there are additional plans for the mall. "We are always looking for opportunities to improve our retail mix [of stores]," she said. "Macerich is a mall redeveloper so we want to improve our shopping experience."

Macerich purchased Chesterfield Towne Center in 1995 and owns 73 regional malls nationwide. Chesterfield Towne Center is metro Richmond's largest shopping center with just over one million square feet including 140 stores and restaurants. The anchor department stores are Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's and Sears.

Barnes & Noble is the world's largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operating 793 bookstores in 50 states.