The holiday shopping season may be at a close, but the mall at Columbia Center is hoping patrons will stop by in the near future to visit its newest future tenant.

JD Sports, a British sports retailer that specializes in sneakers and sports fashion, is coming to the mall, as confirmed by the mall’s social media and building permits filed with the city of Kennewick. An opening date has not been disclosed.

The retailer will move into the space near anchor tenant JCPenney. Building, mechanical and plumbing permits indicate that $832,500 in work is planned for the space.  

That suite in the mall was last occupied by fast fashion retailer Forever 21, which opened in December 2021, nearly three years after it first announced plans to open its first store in the Tri-Cities. The 11,800-square-foot space underwent a $1.3 million remodel. Forever 21 declared bankruptcy in early 2025 and closed the Columbia Center location.  

JD Sports started as a single store in Bury, Greater Manchester, England in 1981. As of 2025, the JD Group is a global retailer of sports fashion and outdoor brands with 4,850 stores across 49 countries. It has a location at the Valley Mall in Union Gap as well as several stores in the Seattle area.