Target to open small-format store in downtown Iowa City by Summer 2020

College students at the University of Iowa will easily be able to walk to a Target by the end of next summer.

The retail giant will open a small-format store, formerly called TargetExpress, along Washington Street in Iowa City. These stores are smaller than a typical Target location, but still have options like fresh produce, snacks and other home goods. The first location for this store concept opened near the University of Minnesota campus in 2014.

Iowa CIty officials said this fills a need in the downtown area.

"As much as possible, we encourage people to not bring cars downtown, we want to see as many people walking or riding bikes," Simon Andrew, the assistant to the city manager of Iowa City, said. "That's not possible with a suburban shopping model, so to see a store like this open up that is walk-able is very attractive to the city."

There is no exact opening date, but signs posted on the property said "Coming Summer 2020."