The residents of Portland are getting excited about their latest addition - a Target!
The grand opening for the new Portland Northshore Target, located at Highway 181 and Broadway Boulevard, took place on Tuesday, Aug. 13.
A line started forming just before 4 p.m. that wrapped around the building. When the ribbon was cut, hundreds flooded into the store to be the first customers. That included Portland resident Revel Wicks.
“This place is gigantic and it’s got absolutely everything. I’m so happy to be here especially with everybody here,” he said.
Wicks is set to head off to college, so the grand opening came at a good time for him.
“I was going to go college shopping. I mean I’m only going to be two and a half hours from here. I think this will be perfect place to stop by before my house,” Wicks said.
The 128,500 square foot store features a wide variety of Target’s top owned and national brands, as well as a CVS Pharmacy, Target Optical, Ulta Beauty and Starbucks. The store will also offer Drive-Up services to customers.
“We're excited to bring the joy of Target to new guests and help them discover a unique shopping experience tailored to the needs of the Portland community," Portland Northshore Target store director Larissa Evans said.
Evans said Portland was an ideal spot for Target.
“It’s just a growing community, so this is what they wanted, what they needed and we gave it to them,” Evans said.
The industry growth in San Patricio County is driving people to move to Portland. Not only that, residents from near by cities plan to flock to Portland more often now.
“I’m just excited that there’s going to be the second one because I love Target and I'm like a frequent shopper,” Monica Rivera said, a Corpus Christi resident.
Prior to Portland, Corpus Christi had the only Target around.
“It’s better than going to Corpus (Christi), it’s closer, it’s different than Walmart, more of a variety," Mary Gunn said, an Aransas Pass resident.
Both Rivera and Gunn anticipate going to the Portland Target more often.
The addition of Target and nearby businesses has people hoping for more growth.
“Since Target’s here, lets say Amazon. Like Amazon Business, they could possibly go here too. A lot of bigger, like Best Buy too. Best Buy could be another thing just predicting the future,” Wicks said.
"Can we get a Costco next?" Gunn asked.
Evans said everywhere her team went to introduce themselves, they felt welcomed into the community.
“Being part of this community is important to me and my team and we’re looking forward to bringing an easy, affordable and convenient shopping experience to our guests,” she said.
The Portland Northshore Target is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
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