Nordstrom makes it official

After a quarter-century of fighting to enter the Massachusetts market, upscale department-store chain Nordstrom Inc. yesterday laid out plans to build three new multilevel stores in malls where Federated Department Stores Inc. is closing Filene's shops this year.

The company is proposing to open a two-level, 144,000-square-foot store at Burlington Mall in Burlington in 2008; a three-level 150,000 square foot site at South Shore Plaza in Braintree in 2009; and a two-level 144,000 square foot store at the Northshore Mall in Peabody in 2010. Simon Property Group, which operates these malls, yesterday confirmed it has signed letters of intent with Nordstrom for these sites.

Nordstrom president Blake Nordstrom said yesterday in an interview that the Seattle company was blocked for decades by rival anchor stores in the area, making Boston the only major market, other than Manhattan, that the merchant could not penetrate. Now, Nordstrom is planning to make a bold entrance into several affluent suburbs with these three stores plus a fourth location at Natick Mall that already is under construction and is expected to open in fall 2007.

''This is a very attractive market, and we haven't been able to get our foot in the door," Nordstrom said. ''We've been trying so hard to get into Boston and so that makes today's announcement especially gratifying."

The company is not aggressively pursuing any stores in the city of Boston, despite efforts by at least one South Boston developer to lure the high-end merchant to the waterfront.

''We definitely have our hands full with these four stores," Nordstrom said. ''Our focus is on that. But we're also always open to listening for other opportunities."

Nordstrom, which grew from a Seattle shoe store in 1901 into a nationwide chain, expects to employ 400 people at each store.

Richard S. Sokolov, president and chief operating officer of Simon Property Group, said yesterday in an interview that Nordstrom is the only retailer the real estate company focused on for the available sites in Braintree, Burlington, and Peabody.

''We felt it was appropriate for these properties," Sokolov said. Nordstrom is ''a very good retailer that appeals to an affluent consumer."

Simon already has 21 Nordstrom stores on its properties in other states and the company is in negotiations for a number of other sites across the country. Nordstrom is eyeing up to 18 other properties that are being vacated this year by Federated as part of its $17 billion takeover of Filene's parent, May Department Stores.

''We are working with Nordstrom on a number of opportunities throughout the country but there's a lot of moving parts, a lot of things have to happen before we get to have a happy day like today," Sokolov said.

Federated, the owner of Macy's, is closing seven stores in Massachusetts where a Filene's and Macy's both exist, including the flagship Filene's in Downtown Crossing. Cincinnati-based Federated plans to sell off the seven stores and turn the remaining Filene's stores into Macy's by the fall.

Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.