Eddie Bauer shutters downtown mall store

Outdoor clothing retailer Eddie Bauer closed its downtown Spokane retail store recently, leaving only an outlet store in the Spokane Valley, the Bellevue-based company said Friday.

Spokeswoman Sarah Redgrave said Eddie Bauer does not comment on store closings or openings. She declined to say if a new Spokane store is in the works.

“This is a normal course of business,” Redgrave said.

The store, at 710 W. Main, had been a tenant of River Park Square since 1997, after Eddie Bauer closed another downtown store one year earlier.

Bob Smith, chief operating officer of River Park Square, said discussions were continuing with a number of retailers interested in the location. He said the decision to not renew the lease with Eddie Bauer was “a mutual decision.”

River Park Square is a subsidiary of Cowles Co., which also publishes The Spokesman-Review.

Smith said improvements will be made in the two-story site before the next tenant moves in.

“That space needs some renovation,” he added.

The River Park Square website has removed Eddie Bauer from its directory of stores. In its place is a “coming soon” icon.