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Locating near a Wal-Mart Supercenter continues to be a good bet for retailers, and developments on Des Moines’ South Side and in Indianola will take advantage of that traffic.

Vision4Less

EyeMart Express Ltd. has begun construction of a Vision4Less eyeglass superstore on Des Moines’ South Side. According to city records. The 3,400-square-foot building will be located on one of two outparcels located west of the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 5101 S.E. 14th.

Based in Carrollton, Texas, EyeMart Express specializes in operating discount one-hour eyeglass stores. Its more than 70 Vision4Less stores are located primarily in the South and Midwest. It operates seven locations in Iowa.

The general contractor for the project is L&L Retail Construction LLC of Norman, Okla. A spokeswoman said construction should be completed by September.

The new South Side location will compete head-to-head with the discount vision center located inside the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Indianola retail center

To the south in Indianola, a developer is moving forward with plans to construct a 10,000-square-foot retail center on an outparcel of the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 1500 N. Jefferson Way on the north end of the city. Women’s fashion retailer Maurices Inc. will occupy half of the space, and a Great Clips hair salon will occupy 1,200 square feet. The remaining space will be available for lease.

Last week the Indianola City Council approved a development agreement with Retail Growth Venture II LLC and Indianola Retail Center LLC. The developer will receive a six-year forgivable loan of $125,000, with the balance to be repaid during the term of the loan using property tax revenue from the building as part of a tax-increment finance district arrangement. The building will replace a vacant feed store located on the site.

It’s the first Iowa project for the two development partners, Steve Doran and Todd Waller, both commercial real estate professionals in Madison, Wis. The two men have worked together on several small retail development projects adjacent to Wal-Mart Supercenters, Waller said.

“There were some huge costs involved in the project; if we didn’t have some assistance from the city, it never would have been able to be done,” he said. Under the development agreement, the new building must have a minimum taxable value of $650,000 and be completed by Dec. 31.