LAFAYETTE, La.--Seattle-based Nordstrom Inc. is planning to open its second store next year in Louisiana: a Nordstrom Rack at Ambassador Town Center in Lafayette. The 25,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open in spring 2016.

“We select locations where there is an opportunity to serve more customers,” Naomi Tobis, Nordstrom spokeswoman, told GlobeSt.com. “We also want our stores to be as convenient and accessible as possible and typically open in centers with healthy retail competition, entertainment and restaurants. The chance to be a part of Ambassador Town Center is a great fit for us. It will allow us to bring a store closer to home for existing customers and introduce Nordstrom to those who have never shopped with us before.”

The 425,000-square-foot-plus Ambassador Town Center is a joint development of Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties Inc. Nordstrom Rack will be part of the newly developed center located at the intersection of Ambassador Caffrey Boulevard and Kaliste Saloom Road. Other retailers joining will include Costco, Dick's Sporting Goods, Field & Stream, Marshalls, HomeGoods and several restaurants.

The company recently announced its first Louisiana retail location at The Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, which is scheduled to open a Nordstrom Rack this fall.

"We are thrilled with the opportunity to grow our store presence in Louisiana," says Geevy Thomas, president of Nordstrom Rack. "We look forward to earning the business of customers living in and around Lafayette when we open."

Nordstrom Rack is the off-price retail division of Nordstrom, offering customers a wide selection of trendy apparel, accessories and shoes at a savings of 30-70 percent off regular prices.

"We are excited to bring this highly regarded retailer to the Lafayette market," says Townsend Underhill, Stirling Properties' senior vice president of development. "Their commitment to this project demonstrates the quality of this development and the strength of our regional economy."