I wrote recently of hints that the dormant Park Avenue shopping center on the site of the old University Mall was showing signs of life, particularly that a Target might soon be coming as an anchor tenant.

It’s happened. They announced a deal with Target today. Site work is now underway. The store should open by October 2010.

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No other tenants announced. It remains to be seen if the drawing above, carried on the Park Avenue website, of the dream of a mixed use development of retail, office and residential, will come to pass.

Having driven leventy miles to Target yesterday to buy a toaster, I welcome the news.

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UPDATE: This will NOT be a “super Target” with a full general merchandise portion and a full supermarket. It will be what’s known as an “expanded food format” Target, a company spokesman said. Its grocery offerings will include some fresh produce (fruit and bagged lettuce, for example) and some fresh meats. This will make it more inclusive than existing Targets in the LR area, but not be the chain’s largest version.

In answer to questions about the so-far missing residential, office and other components of the developments touted by city leaders, a spokesman for the developer said it was hoped the firming of an anchor stir would spur interest in other developments on the property.

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