It is the third store to open in Stonebridge Village, a festival-type shopping center located just off Interstate 985. Kohl’s and Home Depot opened in November.

Flowery Branch Mayor Diane Hirling has said the center also will include PetSmart, OfficeMax, T.J. Maxx, Ross Dress For Less, Chick-fil-A and Chili’s Grill and Bar, all of which are likely to open sometime this spring.

In his annual economic forecast in January, local Realtor Frank Norton Jr. cited Stonebridge Village as an example that retail is returning to Hall County.

Halvorsen Holdings Inc., which has headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., is developing the 520,000-square-foot Stonebridge Village. The $45 million project is being designed by Randall-Paulson Architects.

Steve Linders with Target corporate communications said the 145,000-square-foot general merchandise store will employ 150 to 250 people. The store already has been open in what is called a "soft open." The Flowery Branch Target includes a Food Avenue restaurant, photo processing services and a pharmacy.

Lee Shaw is the manager of the Flowery Branch store, located at 5865 Spout Springs Road.

The Flowery Branch location is the second Target store in Hall County. There are 52 Target stores across Georgia and 1,613 in the United States, according to Linders. The first Target store opened in Roseville, Minn., in 1962.

Linders said it takes about a year after the public announcement for a Target store to be completed and open.

He said Target stores across the country give $3 million to the local communities every week, including through the Take Charge of Education program.