J. Jill store reopens in MacArthur Center

First you saw it, then you didn't. Now, you do again.

It's the J. Jill store at MacArthur Center, the only location for the women's clothing chain in South Hampton Roads. The shop opened in October 2005 and closed after The Talbots Inc., which owned J. Jill, sold it in July to private equity firm Golden Gate Capital, based in San Francisco.

A week ago, J. Jill reopened in the same spot in the downtown Norfolk mall with an array of new fall merchandise. An employee there referred questions to the corporate office.

David Olsen, a spokesman for Golden Gate Capital, said officials there dislike talking to the media and did not respond to requests for information.

Jim Wofford, MacArthur Center's general manager, said the new owners misunderstood the Hampton Roads market and thought they didn't need a store in addition to the J. Jill in Newport News, which remained open. When they looked closer at the region's demographics, they decided to reopen in Norfolk, Wofford said.

The store's lease had not expired. J. Jill only liquidated the old merchandise before the closure but otherwise left the interior untouched, Wofford said. "They never even took the cash register out of the place."