By STACEY PAGE
Editor
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Warsaw is growing by leaps and bounds and it means good things for shoppers.

According to Warsaw City Planner Jeremy Skinner, by late summer or early fall consumers will have four new retailers and at least one new eatery to patronize.

In the new development known as Warsaw Commons, which is located directly north of Kohl’s department store, construction on a retail complex is well under way. Following a winter 2011 ground-breaking, Skinner said developer Thompson-Thrift is expected to complete the exterior construction of anchor stores T.J. Maxx, a discount clothing, accessories and home interiors store, and chain pet store Petsmart by some time in August. In all likelihood, that means the exterior construction of Shoe Carnival and Ulta, a cosmetics and salon store, will be completed at about the same time frame.

“The first delivery date is in July and I believe that’s for Ulta,” says Skinner. That deadline simply means the developer must have the exterior complete, but it could be a month or more before the retailer is ready for a grand opening.

Additionally, sandwich shop Jimmy John’s is scheduled to open a store in the new strip mall along Detroit Street. Another pizzeria is also in the early planning stages of opening a restaurant, but Skinner says he has not received a building permit application so is not sure exactly where the restaurant will be located.

When completed, the Warsaw Commons retail stores will employ approximately 302 people. Those jobs will range from minimum wage part-time jobs to several management positions.

The Warsaw Plan Commission meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. All meetings are open to the public and are held in the Warsaw City Council chambers on Market Street.