To the Maxx: Retail giant holding grand opening in Athens

ATHENS — With a “maxx-imum” of excitement and festivities to the “maxx,” Athens will celebrate the opening of TJ Maxx with music, fashion and community support this weekend.

The grand opening for the much-anticipated retailer at 1061 Kelli Drive is 7 a.m. Sunday. The store is south of U.S. 72, behind Wendy’s.

Festivities will include a DJ, the Athens High School Band, and a fashion show that will begin around 7:30 a.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be around 8 a.m. and will include a donation to Habitat for Humanity of the River Valley.

The public is invited to attend the grand-opening festivities. The store will open for shoppers after the ribbon-cutting.

Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks said the additional shopping option meets a need expressed by residents and helps grow the city’s sales tax base. 

For the Athens 2040 comprehensive plan, community and stakeholder groups and retail research indicated Athens experiences sales tax leakage in clothing sales compared to other markets.

While downtown Athens specialty shops offer highly customized merchandizing to meet consumer needs, there has been a lack of discount department clothing stores, a news release said. The research specifically mentioned TJ Maxx and Ross.

“Sales tax makes up about 40 percent of our revenue so shopping local supports fire and police services, sanitation, parks, paving and other needs,” Marks said. “The more options we provide in Athens from small businesses to major chains, the less sales tax dollars leave Athens.”

Noon Real Estate broke ground on the TJ Maxx shopping center last summer. Other stores that will open soon include Ross Dress for Less, Ulta, Five Below and Rack Room Shoes.

The shopping center project will create 125 jobs and generate annual taxable sales of about $20 million.

“The introduction of TJ Maxx to our community isn’t merely about adding another store, it’s about enriching our shopping landscape, fostering economic vitality, and enhancing our collective quality of life,” said Pammie Jimmar, president of the Athens-Limestone County Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a testament to our growth in Athens-Limestone County.”