Bath & Body Works and Buckle Proposed for Helena Skyway Plaza

Two national retailers have submitted plans to the city to move into the space now occupied by Furniture Design Center at Skyway Regional Shopping Center, but timelines and permits remain unsettled. KTVH and MTN reported that Bath & Body Works and Buckle filed plans to open in the Skyway location, and Buckle originally told reporters construction was to begin Feb. 9 with a projected opening in late-June 2026. As of Feb. 18, 2026, KTVH noted construction for Buckle had not started and the Furniture Design Center was still operating at Skyway.

A manager with Furniture Design Center told MTN they intend to relocate to the former Big Lots building on Prospect Avenue and would take the second tenant spot shown on AutoZone’s submitted plans. Those AutoZone plans, filed with the city, show AutoZone occupying one half of the former Big Lots building and indicate a second tenant space but do not identify that tenant. City records checked by reporters did not show any filed plans or documents for Furniture Design Center moving into the former Big Lots location as of Feb. 18.

Lease timing may explain the lull at Skyway. The Furniture Design Center manager told MTN there are about two years left on the lease for the Skyway location, and they said they do not have a target date to move until the new location is complete. That lease detail helps clarify why the store remains open in its current space even while Bath & Body Works and Buckle have pursued filings for that suite.

There is also ambiguity around permit approvals. An Instagram post quoted in reporting claimed, "Building plans have been submitted and approved," and said city documents "don't have estimated opening dates for either Bath and Body Works nor buckle," but that Instagram text is truncated in the available material and the claim of approval is not corroborated by the other local reports. KTVH and KXLH have reported only that plans were submitted; neither outlet confirmed an approval date in city permit records as of their Feb. 18 check. KXLH posted a status update on Feb. 19, 2026.

Buckle representatives told reporters the project timeline is delayed and did not provide a new start or opening date. No Bath & Body Works timeline was published in the reports. Reporters cited city plan filings for AutoZone at the former Big Lots site but found no permit filings identifying a second tenant or any signed lease recorded for Furniture Design Center at the Prospect Avenue property.

For now, the concrete facts on file are: Bath & Body Works and Buckle have submitted plans to the city to occupy the Skyway space; AutoZone has filed plans to take half of the former Big Lots building; Furniture Design Center says it plans to move into the other half but has roughly two years remaining on its Skyway lease; and as of Feb. 18, 2026 construction for Buckle had not started despite an earlier Feb. 9 target. City of Helena permit records and corporate contacts for Buckle and Bath & Body Works remain the next documents to check to confirm approvals and revised timelines.