T.J. Maxx Opening Next Month

The opening of T.J. Maxx retail store in Sherman Oaks is scheduled for next month according to Carrie Bethell a spokesperson for the company.

That's big retail news in Sherman Oaks because the Borders Bookstore that was on the site, before it closed last year, was a popular spot

Construction at the location, 14651 Ventura Boulevard is nearly done

The large, empty store at 14651 Ventura Blvd., where Borders Bookstore closed earlier this year, will be taken over by clothing retailer T.J. Maxx.

"We are planning to open a new store in Sherman Oaks sometime in March,"  Carrie Bethell, a spokeswoman for T.J. Maxx, said from the company's headquarters in Framingham, MA.

The departure of Borders created a big, vacant space on Ventura Boulevard in the heart of the shopping district in Sherman Oaks. Confirmation that T.J. Maxx will be moving into the site, between Van Nuys and Sepulveda boulevards, has generated a good feeling among many residents.

"This is going to be a real shot in the arm for the local economy," said Ellen Vukovich of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association.

"We've known about T.J. Maxx coming in for some time, and it's the kind of thing that's really needed at this time, with so much of the economy in rough shape," Vukovich said.

Construction has already begun. Several men working inside the store were hauling lumber and putting up a wall at the back of the property.

"There's still a lot of things that need to be done, before they can open here," said Acopito Contreras, foreman on the project.

"It's definitely creating some jobs," said Jose Cedeno, one of the construction workers on the project.