TJ Maxx store to relocate as part of retail center's revamp in lower South End
TJ Maxx is on the move in lower South End. The discount retailer will relocate to Seneca Square in summer 2026, becoming the anchor of that retail center at the intersection of South Boulevard and Tyvola Road.
Plans call for TJ Maxx to occupy 25,750 square feet at that site, formerly home to Office Depot. That store will be roughly a mile away from TJ Maxx’s current store on South Boulevard.
Expect TJ Maxx — part of Fortune 100 company TJX Cos. Inc. (NYSE: TJX) — to offer brand-name and designer merchandise at discounted prices.
The company did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
The retailer is a key piece in the transformation of Seneca Square, says Jack Spencer, partner at Cedar Square, a Charlotte-based real estate private equity investment firm.
“Part of the appeal there is that they do offer a fantastic anchoring of the property and can draw the small shop tenants that that we're seeking,” he says.
Cedar Square — formerly Ascent Real Estate Capital — acquired the 77,000-square-foot shopping center for $18.75 million in December. Spencer says Seneca Square’s location and demographics make it ideal. It boasts surface parking along South Boulevard, giving it good visibility, and is in proximity to fast-growing neighborhoods including South End, Madison Park and Myers Park.
The retail center was built in two phases by Crosland. The first piece came online in 1963, with additional square footage added in the late 1970s, Spencer says.
Cedar Square has made improvements to Seneca Square’s aesthetics and functionality, including painting and resurfacing the parking lot. Landscaping is set to be updates, as well as signage.
“The entire center is just undergoing a complete transformation. Due to all these great improvements and an anchor like TJ Maxx, you're going to be looking at an elevated tenant roster and shopping experience,” says Keely Hines, partner at Foundry Commercial.
Hines and Nicole Edmonds, also at Foundry, are handling retail leasing for the center. Providence Group’s James McGee is overseeing property management at Seneca Square.
Hines says TJ Maxx’s move puts it closer to rooftops, improving access and accessibility for its customer base. It’s also a key piece in elevating the tenant offerings at Seneca Square. Roughly 25,000 square feet is available to lease at the retail center, she adds.
There’s a prime, 4,800-square-foot, end-cap space for a unique food-and-beverage offering. It has covered patio dining.
“I feel like in this market that a local or regional restaurant offering would be strong because they understand the center, this demographic and the transformation of this part of South Boulevard,” she says.
She also sees opportunities for a complementary apparel or shoe retailer, cosmetic store, upgraded beauty offerings such as a salon or nail studio, a pet-related concept — be it veterinarian or supplies — as well as boutique fitness there. Medical retail such as a med spa and cosmetic dentistry would also fit.
Cedar Square's other mixed-use projects in Charlotte include The Shop, a more than 42,000-square-foot, adaptive-reuse creative office and retail project on North Graham Street; the 240-unit apartment complex Centro Montford; and The Sugar Mill at 933 Louise Ave., formerly home to Catawba Brewing.
The firm has also invested $5 million into 2417 and 2729 N. Tryon St. Those sites, combined, account for roughly 1.9 acres. Each is home to an 11,000-square-foot retail center.
