Shops at Marshalltown preparing for TJ Maxx, Burlington
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In a five-day span, two new Shops at Marshalltown stores have scheduled grand opening dates, bringing more retail shopping variety to residents.
On their websites, TJ Maxx has a grand opening date of Sept. 13, and Burlington's grand opening date is set for Sept. 18.
Glen Kitto, the director of construction for Reserve Development, the owner of Shops at Marshalltown, said in addition to the upcoming new stores, Shoe Sensation was moved into a bigger and improved space and opened in the beginning of August.
Shoe Sensation is not the only Marshalltown store involved in Shops at Marshalltown. Another is considering the possibility of moving to the location.
"We are in final negotiations and working on relocation," Kitto said, adding until negotiations are complete, he would not be able to confirm which business it is.
He also hopes to make an announcement soon.
"We are talking to two exciting prospects which would change the dynamics at Shops at Marshalltown," Kitto said.
By the end of 2026, he is confident 85 percent of the former mall space will be filled with tenants. Currently, the businesses already there include Five Below which opened in June; and longer-term tenants in addition to Shoe Sensation are Hobby Lobby, Planet Fitness and Fridley Theaters. The latter received new seating from Reserve Development as part of the overall building renovation.
The building had fallen into disrepair during the past few years under the ownership of Kohan Retail Investment Group of New York. In addition to property neglect, Kohan failed to pay utility bills, and the electricity was shut off in November 2023. When Reserve Development purchased the property in January 2025 for $8 million, the bill had not yet been paid, but the new owner was intent on starting the work of bringing the building back to life. Thus, the process of transforming the property into Shops at Marshalltown began.
And it has not been a small task in transforming an interior mall into a shopping center. Not only was there a lot of interior work, but store fronts had to be created and the parking lots needed attention. With the colder fall Iowa weather on its way, work will not slow down. Crews are installing glass to make the facility water-tight and have fixed the water, heat and air conditioning to keep the pipes from freezing.
"We have enough of the system in place to keep everyone comfortable," he said.
Kitto said residents have shared their appreciation for the work already done, including the new parking lot on the west side.
"We have redone the entire parking lot near Center Street," he said. "It was in severe disrepair, and now we are working on the eastern parking lot on the back side. Everyone is excited and thankful that all the pot holes are gone."
Kitto has also learned about residents' excitement of shopping in new stores and the improvements made to the property.
"They are excited about having fresh retail opportunities," he said. "We've had very positive feedback. We also hosted RAGBRAI, and allowed people to park their vehicles in the parking lot. People who had been to Marshalltown before said it was amazing what has been done."
Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.