JACKSONVILLE, N.C. – New businesses are coming to Jacksonville this September as construction crews work on the brand new Gateway Market Place between Gateway North and Henderson Drive off of Western Blvd.

• The lot will become a new Publix grocery store, Home Goods store as well as the new home of Ulta and Michaels
• The plaza will have six parcels for additional retail and restaurant space as well.
• Businesses next door are excited for the increase in traffic

Ryan King, Jacksonville’s Director of Zoning and Inspection says the 30 acres, 115 square foot lot will become a new Publix grocery store, Home Goods store as well as the new home of Ulta and Michaels, which will relocate from their current locations.

The Publix does not have an open date yet, but it is expected to generate about 130 new jobs. The 48,000 square foot grocery store will include a Publix scratch bakery, Publix Deli, fresh produce delivered daily, full-service meat and seafood department, and sushi among other services including online ordering of sliced meats and cheeses, platters, and bakery cakes.

Businesses next door are excited for the increase in traffic to come.

“We're pretty excited, actually. We are kind of on the far end of what I like to call restaurant row here on Western. So, with the Publix coming in, I’m hoping to move that traffic down to kind of put us in the middle of restaurant row,” said one of the owners of Peno Mediterranean Grill, Ed Shockley.

The plaza will have six parcels for additional retail and restaurant space as well.