With poll: Is construction on ex-Circuit City in Arborland for Nordstrom Rack?

Nordstrom Rack is the off-price retail division of the Nordstrom Inc. department chain.

The Seattle-based company is exploring opening a store in the Ann Arbor area, Nordstrom spokesperson Kendall Ault confirmed Monday.

Although she said there is no official announcement regarding a deal for a local store, a permit pulled with the City of Ann Arbor conveys the company’s interest in the former Circuit City space.

The permit — applied for by Farmington Hills-based Friedman Construction & Design — is for the “interior demolition of Circuit City” for Nordstrom Rack, according to city documents. Construction permits don't require proof of a lease, but the contractor is a division of the mall's management company.

A representative with Friedman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ault said, via email, Nordstrom would “love the opportunity to better serve Ann Arbor with a Nordstrom Rack.”

She added: “We’re hopeful we can get something done soon.”

After three years of vacancy, the Circuit City sign was removed from the site last week. The electronic store liquidated in 2009, vacating a 30,000-square-foot space in the shopping center on Washtenaw Avenue.

The space is situated on the west end of Arborland, between Famous Footwear and Petco. It’s located near the former Borders store — which is being replaced by beauty superstore Ulta and five below, a discount retailer that targets teens and pre-teen customers.

The space is listed for lease for $14-per-square-foot with Landmark Commercial Real Estate Services' Michael Lippitt and Rick Shlom, who did not respond to several requests for comment.

Denise Eckardt of Connecticut-based AmCap Inc. — the company that owns Arborland Center — told AnnArbor.com last week that negotiations are under way for the space but declined to discuss the situation, citing a confidentiality agreement.

Nordstrom, founded as a shoe store in 1901, operates 231 stores in 31 states, which includes 110 Nordstrom Rack locations. There are Nordstrom department stores in Troy, Novi and Clinton Township. There are Nordstrom Rack stores in Troy and Grand Rapids.

The Rack stores carry “on-trend merchandise from Nordstrom stores and Nordstrom.com at 50 to 60 percent off original Nordstrom prices,” according to the company’s website.