Target is aiming to open in Maple Ridge in November 2013.

Maple Ridge council will consider a development permit application for the current Zellers building at 224th Street at tonight's (Tuesday's) council meeting. The applications was also dealt with at Monday's committee meeting.

"[The Target application] for me was the highlight of the day," said Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin after a spending the day in council meetings.

Having Target come to the downtown means "more shopping options," he said.

The plan is to renovate both the interior and exterior of the current Zellers store, adding almost 26,000 square feet (about 2,400 square metres) bringing the store's total floor space to more than 110,000 square feet.

An addition will be constructed to the west side of the building with the prominent bulls-eye signage.

"It's going to give a whole fresh look to that mall," Daykin said, adding that it will modernize what is now an 1980sstyle mall.

Daykin said he was impressed by the nine-month turnaround the company is proposing for construction.

Having recently visited some Target stores in the United States, Daykin said the stores are "pretty impressive."

The current zoning bylaw for that area requires buildings to be three-storeys high, so the proponent is applying for a variance permit to limit it to only two storeys.

The building front will also be moved closer to 224th Street, but will still have required parking. A District of Maple Ridge staff report notes that the new addition won't have any impact on mountain or river views.

mrantanen@mrtimes.com