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Body Central closing in Jacksonville LandingFeb 25, 2013 (The Florida Times-Union - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Body Central, one of the last few original tenants of the Jacksonville Landing, is closing. Janice Lowe, manager of the Landing, said the women's clothing store is officially out on March 3 but is just about cleared out now. "It was very upsetting and sad," she said. "But I think I guess it was a decision that they needed to make. They were still doing what I consider very strong sales at the Landing. "After getting public incentives, they should have kept a presence here. They had a very lucrative lease to put it mildly." Last month, Jacksonville City Council approved incentives of up to $244,600 for Body Central to add 52 jobs in Jacksonville to expand its headquarters. The state could offer up to $1.14 million. Body Central, then Body Shop, was one of the last five original tenants who were there when the Landing opened in 1987. The other four: Hooters, An Apple a Day, Coastal Cookie and The Toy Factory, which opened as Fun 'N Games. Lowe said she's already had interest in the 3,300-square-foot space Body Central is leaving. "That's a prime, Main-at-Main location," she said. "I truly believe that I will fill that very quickly." Body Central has yet to respond to phone calls, but on Monday the company announced the appointment of four new executives: * Andrea Jackson as senior vice president and general merchandise manager. * Patti Simigran as senior vice president of e-commerce and direct merchandising. * Debbie Martin as senior vice president of trend and design. * Grant Simmons as vice president of e-commerce marketing. The company also announced that Beth Angelo has resigned from her position as chief merchandising officer and executive vice president, effective last Friday. Angelo's parents founded the company as Body Shop in the Roosevelt Mall in 1973. Check back with Jacksonville.com and Tuesday's Times-Union for more details. ___ (c)2013 The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.) Visit The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.) at www.jacksonville.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |