Von Maur to open second Wisconsin location at former Madison Boston Store site

High-end retail department store Von Maur plans to open its second Wisconsin location at a former Boston Store site in Madison.

Von Maur said Friday it will open an 85,000-square-foot store at West Towne Mall in fall 2021. Construction on the single-story store, which will feature Von Maur's exterior brick facade and interior ambiance such as a grand piano and antiques, will begin next summer, the retailer said.

The store is expected to employ about 120 people, most of them full-time, Von Maur said.

The Davenport, Iowa-based, family-owned department store chain opened its first Wisconsin location in 2017 as an anchor at The Corners of Brookfield retail-residential development.

When bankrupt Bon-Ton Stores Inc. was closing its Boston Stores and other department stores in August 2018, Von Maur told the Journal Sentinel it was evaluating shuttered Bon-Ton locations as potential sites for Von Maur stores.   

"We are thrilled to continue growing our brand in Wisconsin at such an exceptional location like West Towne Mall," Jim von Maur, president of Von Maur, said in a statement. "After years of scouting Wisconsin, we were finally able to successfully open our first location in the state a couple years ago outside Milwaukee, and the response from customers has been overwhelmingly positive."

Von Maur added: "We are excited to build upon that momentum and introduce Madison area shoppers to our wide selection of brand name merchandise and signature Von Maur service, and we look forward to becoming the shopping destination of choice for years to come."

Among Von Maur's services is free gift wrapping for customers.

Stephen Lebovitz, chief executive officer of Chattanooga, Tennessee-based mall operator CBL Properties, said that over the years Von Maur has been one of the most requested names by customers.

"This new store will drive significant traffic to the property and illustrates our ongoing commitment to enhancing the tenant mix," Lebovitz said.

Friday's announcement continues to build upon the company's national growth strategy, Von Maur said. The 145-year-old retailer opened its second Minnesota location in 2018, and it has grown in new states beyond its Midwestern market, including Georgia, New York, Alabama and Oklahoma. Von Maur said it plans to open its third Michigan location at Woodland Mall just outside of Grand Rapids on Oct. 12.

Von Maur operates 35 stores in 15 states, along with a 120,000-square-foot e-commerce facility for its online business at vonmaur.com.

Paul Gores can be reached at  paul.gores@jrn.com.  Follow him on Twitter @pgores.