A Thursday lunch break stroll in downtown Fort Worth caused me to stumble on sad news for smoothie lovers: the downtown Jamba Juice will be closed for a year.
Tracy Gilmour, director of marketing for Sundance Square, said the smoothie giant’s downtown store is out of commission until October 2013 because of the on-going Sundance Square Plaza construction project.
“[The plaza] has everything to do with it,” Gilmour said.
Jamba’s home, the Jett Building at Third and Main Street, is on the corner of the future Sundance Square Plaza and construction along the backside of the building needs to happen for the project to move forward.
Gilmour said the outside staircase on the back of the building that leads to the basement will be removed and the Chisolm Trail mural that adorns the back wall will be retouched.
Extensive plans to “recore” the building’s inside are forcing its tenants to temporarily move.
The plan will add a staircase leading from the second to third floor, an elevator and a first floor window and wrap-around porch facing the future plaza.
The building’s tenants – Jamba Juice, The Ranch 95.9 and KTFW 92.1 – are currently relocating.
Gilmour said Sundance Square talked to Jamba Juice about creating a temporary set-up in downtown throughout the construction period, though the company opted to move its employees to other DFW stores and closed-up shop on Sept. 25.
The radio stations are in the process of moving to the Wells Fargo tower. Most of the stations’ equipment has been moved and on-air DJs will be in the Wells Fargo tower next week.
Sundance Square is scouting prospective merchants for the currently unoccupied third floor, which will be fully accessible once renovations are complete.
