PetSmart plans Duluth location

Rendering of the Duluth PetSmart location | Duluth Planning Commission

Fido need a new toy? Don't worry, soon there will be another retailer in Duluth for all your pet's needs. PetSmart is planning a 29,000 square foot location in what is the last remaining retail space available in the former K-Mart space at 1734 Mall Drive.

PetSmart currently has 16 Minnesota locations, most of which are in the Twin Cities. The Duluth location would be the first Northern Minnesota location. The company is a direct competitor to Petco, which currently has one Twin Ports location at the Stone Ridge Shopping Center, about a mile away from the planned PetSmart location.

What began as small retail company with two locations in 1987, PetSmart has since expanded to include over 1,400 retail locations in Canada, the United States, and Puerto Rico. To date the company employs over 53,000 individuals and posted a revenue of nearly $7 billion last year.

THE DULUTH LOCATION

In 2013 Hobby Lobby opened a 55,000 square foot store in part of the former K-Mart space, leaving 29,000 square feet of additional retail space located to the left of theirs available for lease. This space is where PetSmart plans to call home in Duluth.

Interior of typical PetSmart location | PetSmart

NCD Duluth SC, LLC has submitted plans that will go before the Duluth Planning Commission's meeting on May 10th that show PetSmart taking ALL of the 29,000 square feet of remaining space. This would be quite large for a PetSmart as their store locations tend to average between 18,000 and 27,000 square feet in size.

PetSmart is known as a "one stop shop" when it comes to pet needs. In addition to the thousands of pet products for sale and small animals and fish, some locations feature pet grooming while others also feature Banfield Pet Hospitals and PetHotels, a fancy name for pet boarding and daycare. Those last two features are what truly set PetSmart apart from their competitor Petco.

The renderings for the Duluth PetSmart location show only signage for grooming on the exterior, typically all of the services mentioned above would have exterior signage. At the moment it is unclear if all services will be offered at the Duluth location however it is very likely considering how much how large the location will be.

We will have more information on those specifics soon.

MORE THAN JUST PETSMART

But wait, there's more.

Plans that will presented to the city also show alos a renovation of the current Savers storefront to match the Hobby Lobby and PetSmart storefronts. PetSmart and Savers facades are designed to match what currently is the Hobby Lobby facade.

The entire parking lot for what is now called "Village Mall" will also be entirely replaced with all new curves and pavement, quite a bit of foliage, and designated medians separating the parking lot into parking areas for each tenant instead of one large sea of parking spaces as it currently is.

The entry from Mall Drive and Maple Grove Road will also be enhanced resulting in Grandma's Saloon and Grill's parking area being separated by medians and foliage from the main parking area for Village Mall.

One interesting detail shown is a large area of parking that will not be replaced closest to Mall Drive and Mountain Shadow Drive. It's listed as a "future submittal" in the landscaping/parking lot plans.

Another interesting detail is the pylon sign for Village Mall that is planned for Mall Drive. It shows space for Savers, Hobby Lobby, PetSmart... and an additional retail space. Problem is is that there isn't another available retail space for lease as all all buildings will be 100% leased once PetSmart opens.

Landscape plan showing PetSmart location and area of parking lot to not be replaced | Duluth Planning Commission

FUTURE ADDITIONAL RETAIL SPACE?

So what does this mean?

The future submittal for "Parking Lot #3" could mean that the developer/property owner is possibly looking at constructing an additional retail building on the parking lot that is not slated to be replaced.

Parking Lot 3 lines up with the far edge of the current building on site and would be prime area for additional retail space ranging most likely in the 20,000-40,000 square foot range. This building would most likely "box in" the parking area.

The plans for Village Mall show 568 parking spaces once all lots are replaced which is more than enough space for the three retailers on site. This also would enough space to allow additional retailers to locate on site.

While plans have not been solidified for what is referred to as "Parking Lot #3" we will be sure to keep you updated if any future plans are released.