Jun. 27--D'IBERVILLE -- Mark the calendar with a bold red circle around Oct. 11, the official grand opening of The Promenade and Target in D'Iberville.

The developer is working with the city to tie together the opening weekend at The Promenade with the closing weekend of Cruisin' the Coast.

Cruisin' days in D'Iberville are Oct. 8-10, and communications officer Nicole Young said the city will again welcome cruisers with music, vendors, entertainment and Cruisin' Citations to encourage visitors to shop and dine in the city.

Geoffrey Smith, vice president of development for CBL & Associates Properties, said construction is on target for The Promenade to open on schedule. The concrete walls of the Target store were poured on site and raised into place, and work crews have moved inside.

Target is the eastern anchor of the complex, with Kohl's, Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, PetSmart, Michael's and Marshalls the other major retailers under construction.

The big two restaurants, Olive Garden and Red Lobster, have already had a taste of the success other tenants can expect in South Mississippi, said Smith. Those eateries were on Beach Boulevard in other Coast cities before being destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Other places to eat at The Promenade will be Fries, Ice Cream & More, Chick-fil-A, Newk's Express Cafe and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

The 700,000 square-foot Promenade will employ about 1,000 people and all the stores and restaurants typically set up employment trailers or arrange for a place in the community to take job applications.

"It's just not time for that to happen yet," said Jamey Flegal, senior leasing manager for CBL, who said the tenants will advertise when they are ready. "There will be openings and it's not that far away."

The economy has opened a door for local and regional business to locate at The Promenade.

"We still have some opportunities," said Flegal, who has leased space at The Promenade to national specialty retailers along with Newk's Express Cafe from Jackson; Inspire, a locally-owned store that will feature religious products; and Splendor Salon, which will also continue to operate its Gulfport location.

Additional tenants include the Dress Barn, ULTA, Mattress Direct, GNC, Mystic Salon & Spa, AT&T Mobility store and Watermelon Patch.

The industry terms this mix of large anchors with national discount department stores "power centers," and Smith said "this happens to be a particularly powerful power center." Annual sales are expected to exceed $185 million.

Location is a strong draw for tenants and shoppers and roads in the area will be complete ahead of the opening. For drivers exiting Interstate 10 and 110 onto the new Mississippi 67, "there will be northbound dual left turn lanes," said Smith.

D'Iberville City Manager Richard Rose said the access road from the west will be off Old 15, which will be renamed D'Iberville Boulevard.

The city is spending about $1 million to resurface roads, including D'Iberville and LeMoyne boulevards and Lamey Bridge Road. After the holiday shopping season, work will begin to expand Sangani Boulevard and Mallett Road to five lanes.

Longer term, the state plans to build new access ramps onto the interstate, said Rose.

The landscaping and lighting will be complete for visitors when The Promenade opens, said Flegal, as future phases of buildings come on line.

"Hats off to retail partners who really believe in the market," Smith said. "They see that the Mississippi Gulf Coast is a real opportunity to be successful,"

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