WELLINGTON, Fla. — One day after a big box store announced it was closing in Wellington, the Village’s second major hotel opened up.
On Wednesday, The Mall at Wellington Green’s Nordstrom announced it would close April 5th. On Thursday, a Fairfield Inn by Marriott opened, located at 10616 Forest Hill Blvd.
“As things expand west and north of here, (Wellington) will become more of central county,” Gary Koolick said from Brefrank Inc. It’s why it made sense for the family-run real estate company to open the areas’ second hotel.
“We’ve been building out here for 15 years,” he said.
The company also helped develop the Wellington Mall. But the future won’t have the Nordstrom anchor, which wasn’t a surprise to many.
“It is a very expensive store and It thinks it’s an inaccessible store,” said Cassandra Vazquez, who was visiting the mall area with her boyfriend from Loxahatchee.
Anne Gerwig is the Mayor of Wellington.
“(Nordstrom wasn’t) carrying a lot of inventory, so we kind of had some impression. But the mall is doing some interesting things,” she said.
On top of the shopping, Gerwig notes another focus, “Entertainment is one of the things the mall has embraced,” she said about the addition of the movie theater and more bars and restaurants.
Wellington has enticed Steven Arreaga to move his restoration business from West Palm Beach.
“As a business owner, I see the opportunity with the community. It’s growing,” he said. He was also in the area of the mall getting his hair cut.
After Nordstrom leaves in April, there’s a chance for a new beginning.
“I see entertainment there, I see retailers there. I think it totally activates that section of the mall,” Koolick said
“Something cool like an escape room or something like that,” Vazquez said.
The hotel is close to sold out Thursday night, but management says it’s sold out Friday night.
