The Shops of Grand Avenue, a 527,000 square-foot shopping complex at 275 W. Wisconsin Ave., announced last month that Old Navy would be opening a location there in the summer of 2004.

The shopping complex is also anticipating the arrival of a T.J. Maxx and a Linens ‘N Things in the spring of 2004, said Nan Schwartz, Grand Avenue’s general manager.

The new stores are another in a series of improvements Grand Avenue has made over the past few years.

“In 2001, we completed a full remodeling of the New Arcade Building,” Schwartz said, adding that The Shops of Grand Avenue expects a “full renovation” of the Plankinton Arcade to be finished “by the end of the year.”

The New Arcade Building is the three-tiered wing of Grand Avenue on West Wisconsin Avenue, and the Plankinton Arcade is its two-level complementary wing.

Schwartz said The Shops of Grand Avenue cleared the first floor of the shopping complex of its then-retailers — mostly small stores — over a two-and-a-half year span to make room for T.J. Maxx and Linens ‘N Things. Old Navy will occupy approximately 15,000 square feet on the shopping complex’s second level.

In preparation for the stores’ openings, Grand Avenue has also made improvements to its 1,800-car parking structure, including new and brighter lights and fresh paint.

T.J. Maxx, Linens ‘N Things and Old Navy will join Grand Avenue’s other recent arrivals — Potbelly’s Sandwich Works, which opened last month, and Border’s Books and Music, which has occupied its 101 W. Wisconsin Ave. location for about a year.

Schwartz said while Grand Avenue does not actually own the ASQ Center, the building in which Border’s is located, it is marketed along with The Shops of Grand Avenue.

The Shops of Grand Avenue’s current retailers include clothing stores Boston Store, Gap and Express, restaurants Applebee’s and Wild Flour Bakery, and specialty shops Daly’s Pen and Gift Shop and the Milwaukee Public Museum Store.

Schwartz said the additions of T.J. Maxx, Linens ‘N Things and Old Navy will help Grand Avenue in its effort to create a “value-orientated mall” that will fit in well with its downtown location. The movement entails attracting retailers that specialize in smaller-ticket items as opposed to more costly goods.

Mark Eppli, Robert B. Bell Chair in real estate studies, said he expects the T.J. Maxx, Linens ‘N Things and Old Navy stores to do well in their new downtown locations.

Eppli said the commercial makeup of urban downtowns was generally set by the presence of a “high-end department store” like Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom or Bloomingdale’s until the 1970s, when these retailers moved out to the suburbs to be closer to their customers. It created a hole in urban downtown areas that was filled by “soft goods retailers” — smaller shops that sell books, clothing, shoes, etc. These soft goods retailers tend to fare well near urban universities such as Marquette because college students are some of their principal customers.

The proximity of college campuses — Marquette, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Milwaukee School of Engineering — is part of what attracted the retailers to The Shops of Grand Avenue.

“We look for any area where there is thriving retail and colleges fit that bill because T.J. Maxx offer merchandise for men, women and home, meaning we have merchandise for students’ apartments and dorms,” said Renee Katziff, spokeswoman for T.J. Maxx. It is a discount clothing store with merchandise that varies from store to store, according to Katziff.

Toni Vordeman, a spokeswoman for Linens ‘N Things, said the store targets students, especially during certain seasons, such as autumn, when incoming students are looking to furnish their apartments and dorms. Linens ‘N Things is a housewares retailer offering products from bedding and towels to irons and cutlery.

The Shops of Grand Avenue is owned by Faison Enterprises Incorporated, a Charlotte, N. C.-based real estate holding company