By Ken Williams | Editor

Target formally announced on Thursday, Jan. 11, that it will open a small-format store in November in a historical retail building in North Park.

This confirms what San Diego Uptown News reported in the issue published Nov. 3, 2017, that a Target Express would fill the empty space located at 3029 University Ave., near the intersection with Ray Street.

The historical building was erected in 1942 for J.C. Penney, and the department store thrived in North Park for decades. But J.C. Penney became one of four anchor stores when Fashion Valley mall opened in Mission Valley in 1969 — and North Park began to decline as a shopping destination until its recent revival.

The building would later house tenants that included REI, Big Lots and Wang’s North Park restaurant. The restaurant opened in January 2012 after a $1.75 million makeover, but closed in May 2015. The building has been vacant since then.

Target North Park will join Target South Park as two of the retail chain’s small-format stores in San Diego. The retailer expects to be operating 130 small-format stores nationwide by the end of 2019, serving neighborhoods where a traditional-sized Target store may not fit. A supersized Target store is located in Mission Valley.

“Target’s newest San Diego small-format store in the North Park community will be customized to fit the unique character of the neighborhood and meet the needs of neighbors and visitors alike,” Mark Schindele, Target’s senior vice president of properties, said in a news release.

“Target has met with Councilmember Chris Ward, leaders from the North Park Main Street Association, the North Park Planning Committee, the North Community Association and the North Park Historical Society, and will continue to partner with local leaders to ensure the spirit of this community is reflected throughout the store assortment and design,” he continued.

Officials with North Park Main Street Association and the North Park Planning Committee had confirmed Target’s interest in North Park in the Nov. 3 article in Uptown News.

Target verified that it has signed a lease to open a small-format store that would occupy about 35,200 square feet of space. The store will employ around 50 local residents and provide neighboring families, students and young professionals with a quick-trip shopping experience and a carefully tailored assortment mix, according to the news release. Services will include:

• A broad beauty assortment presented in a boutique-style setting.
• Baby and kids assortment, including basics, apparel, toys and sporting goods.
• Men’s and women’s basics, apparel and accessories.
• A grocery selection for the fill-in trip, including fresh produce, grab-and-go items, snacks and meal solutions.
• Free guest parking in lots or public parking at low hourly rates.
• Services include CVS pharmacy and order pickup.

Target’s “order pickup” service offers even more convenience and added security with the customer’s ability to buy online and pickup in store. More than 95 percent of pickup orders are ready in less than an hour, Target officials said.

Target has been expanding nationwide by locating small-format stores in dense suburban neighborhoods, urban areas and near college campuses. The small-format stores are tailored to meet the needs of local residents.

— Ken Williams is editor of Uptown News and can be reached at [email protected] or at 619-961-1952. Follow him on Twitter at @KenSanDiego, Instagram at @KenSD or Facebook at KenWilliamsSanDiego.