Uniqlo’s expansion to Washington starts at Bellevue Square

After months of speculation about what will fill the vacant J.C. Penney building at Bellevue Square, Uniqlo on Monday announced 13,000 square feet of it will be a new retail outlet for the Japanese casual apparel company.

By Celina Kareiva • April 10, 2015 3:05 pm
Japanese casual apparel designer and retailer UNIQLO has announced it will open a 13
Japanese casual apparel designer and retailer UNIQLO has announced it will open a 13

After months of speculation about what will fill the vacant J.C. Penney building at Bellevue Square, Uniqlo on Monday announced 13,000 square feet of it will be a new retail outlet for the Japanese casual apparel company.

Uniqlo opened its first store in New York City in 2006, and now has 39 outlets that include New Jersey, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Bellevue Square expansion marks Uniqlo’s expansion into Washington, and is expected to be a little larger than its store in Denver.

J.C. Penney vacated the property in November, and the Kemper Development Company announced plans for a number of boutique outlets to replace it.

Uniqlo is the first store announced to fill the Penney building, but permit documents also indicate the ground floor is slated to become a 30,500-square-foot upscale grocery store while using another existing 35,500 square feet for additional parking.