Last Wednesday morning the City of Forney and Victory Real Estate Group broke ground on the continuation of the Victory Shops, located on Marketplace Boulevard near US Highway 80. Currently the project already houses several popular local businesses like MOD Pizza, Pet Supplies Plus, My Eyelab, and Nina’s Brunch.
The City’s new Economic Development Coordinator, Lynn Spencer, opened the morning by welcoming all in attendance, including several local elected officials and founder and CEO of the Victory Group, Tony Ramji.
“As the economic development coordinator, it is always exciting to have new jobs that definitely support our younger professionals,” Spencer said. “Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, employing over 52 million employees across the United States. Thirty percent of the jobs in Texas are in the retail and food industries. In the Dallas area alone, it is estimated that retail supports over 370,000 retail jobs and over 300,000 food service jobs.”
Spencer went on to say that the addition of the Victory Shops in Forney will bring another 42,000 square feet of space in the overall 220,000 square foot development. Developments of this nature are vital for reaching the City of Forney’s strategic goals to diversify opportunities while beautifying Forney, as Victory Shops will provide more opportunities for community members to shop, eat, and gain employment.
“Forney Marketplace fills a vital role for Forney as many of you already frequent its existing shops,” Mayor Amanda Lewis stated. “Retail and restaurants are always key to a local economy through the sales tax that they generate. This total project is anticipated to generate millions in new sales tax revenue for the City of Forney.”
Mayor Lewis went on to list many of the retailers and restaurants that will be located in the Victory Shops. These include Chiloso, Mo Betta’s, and the anchor of the project, Kohl’s, which is set to break ground at the end of next year and open by Christmas of 2023, Lewis says.
Mr. Ramji expressed his thanks to everyone involved in the project, from his team of architects to the construction crew to the City of Forney itself. “The City of Forney has been nothing but supportive and has been open-minded about the project,” Ramji commented.
Food for the morning’s event was provided by Nina’s Brunch, Tropical Smoothie, and Latham Bakery.
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