Nordstrom

[ATLBrain]

Couldn't find the thread for Mall Green Hills, but Nashville Bound is reporting on the Charrette that they are adding two high-end anchors and moving Dillards to a new wing where the parking lot is near the main entrance of the mall. He spoke with an executive with the company that runs the mall who said that Nordstrom will take (after an expansion/upgrade) the building currently occupied by Dillards. Nieman Marcus is rumored to be the second new anchor. Anyway, it seems that an announcement is imminent. Could the rumored Ritz Carlton be far behind?

[Hankster]

Couldn't find the thread for Mall Green Hills, but Nashville Bound is reporting on the Charrette that they are adding two high-end anchors and moving Dillards to a new wing where the parking lot is near the main entrance of the mall. He spoke with an executive with the company that runs the mall who said that Nordstrom will take (after an expansion/upgrade) the building currently occupied by Dillards. Nieman Marcus is rumored to be the second new anchor. Anyway, it seems that an announcement is imminent. Could the rumored Ritz Carlton be far behind?

[memphian]

Dillard's already has a very nice building at MGH. I cannot imagine that they will ever build anything that will compare with their current location. This was a Cain-Sloan store and has miles of marble and a "retro upscale" vibe to it. Newer Dillard's have a cheaper atmosphere.

[nashman2]

The Dillard's family is notoriously cheap. They haven't put a dime into the Nashville stores in a decade. Throw enough money at them and I bet the Dillard's would agree to an all new store, paid for by the Mall. Then they tear down the existing Dillard's and it's garage and build a new Nordstrom's on the old parking garage site. They then build an all new muti-level garage on the newly bought land. How and where a Neiman's would go is interesting.

Do they do a deal with the owners of the adjacent office building/Bistro 215 and tear it down?

Do they build a Neiman's on the site of the Dillards - Abbott Martin surface parking lot?

However they approach another expansion, it will take 2-5 years to phase all the construction. A depressing thought for Green Hills shoppers.

[jeb1974]

Couldn't find the thread for Mall Green Hills, but Nashville Bound is reporting on the Charrette that they are adding two high-end anchors and moving Dillards to a new wing where the parking lot is near the main entrance of the mall. He spoke with an executive with the company that runs the mall who said that Nordstrom will take (after an expansion/upgrade) the building currently occupied by Dillards. Nieman Marcus is rumored to be the second new anchor. Anyway, it seems that an announcement is imminent. Could the rumored Ritz Carlton be far behind?

[titanhog]

I never even thought that Dillard's building a new store at the Mall at Green Hills was a remote possibility; I've bought quite a bit there since I have lived in Nashville. One post on this blog states that Dillard's has not put a dime in the stores in the Nashville area in a decade.

I believe that around 1999 they spent around $500,000 on the Green Hills store by changing the layout on the first and second floors; this was not a complete overhaul.

It is obvious that the last Nashville-area Dillard's to receive a complete overhaul is the RiverGate location; it contains the earth tone colors and is very similar to the Bel Air store in Mobile that completed its renovation in late 1997 while I lived there. The other Nashville-area Dillard's have an early 1990's look with gray marble floors.

I have been to some newer Dillard's locations in recent years; they are somewhat different. Their exteriors, while still having the arches at the entrances, have more detailed exterior walls. Inside, the marble floors are different; I think that they have grout in between the tiles and are earth tone colored.

If Dillard's is to build a new Green Hills store, it makes you wonder if they would be inclined to update any other areas stores, Cool Springs for the most part.

[nashvillwill]

I believe that around 1999 they spent around $500,000 on the Green Hills store by changing the layout on the first and second floors; this was not a complete overhaul.

[bnaflyer]

I would be surprised if the Dillard's parking garage is torn down, just because parking garages are very, very expensive to build. I can't remember the exact amount per space I have heard quoted recently, but it was shockingly high. I bet they would try to design around the existing garages, if possible.

I wish Dillard's would relocate, hopefully to another state. It is a very middlebrow store for a high end shopping center and is kept junked up with with way too much clutter--you can hardly walk through!

[nashman2]

Any expansion of the Mall will be expensive. The starting post of this thread states that 2 new department stores will be added. How to do this without removing Dillard's and it garage is difficult.

The open parking lot oustide Restoration Hardware/Cheesecake factory is one potential building site. But there are many shoppers (alot of women) who won't park in garages and if they build on that site it would leave almost no open parking.

How does the Mall make use of the newly bought/leased land on Cleghorn? I think the Mall will want a connected, indoor shopping center. The Regal and office building are big road blocks to expansion.

Green Hills could demand the top retailers in the country, it is already doing just that. My guess is that the Mall developers could have deep pockets for this expansion.

[NickR78]

I would be surprised if the Dillard's parking garage is torn down, just because parking garages are very, very expensive to build. I can't remember the exact amount per space I have heard quoted recently, but it was shockingly high. I bet they would try to design around the existing garages, if possible.

I wish Dillard's would relocate, hopefully to another state. It is a very middlebrow store for a high end shopping center and is kept junked up with with way too much clutter--you can hardly walk through!

[bwithers1]

I'm an architecture student at UT, and I took a Structures class on masonry construction last year. I remember my professor saying parking decks typically range between 20-30K per space.

[nsvlbimmerguy]

I agree with most posters that it would be expensive for the mall to demolish the Dillards parking structure, but if you think about it, it's really more a parking "deck" than a parking "garage", being only 1 level up.

I almost always park in the garage by macy's, I don't think I've ever parked up top at Dillards. If the kroger across the street can afford to have a parking deck, I have no doubt DSLC would have no problem tearing this one down to build a true garage.

Then there's the parking garage adjacent to the office building next door. Other than the first few floors during the day, for people that work in the office structure, and the 3rd & 4th floors during the evenings and weekends for movie patrons, that parking garage is usually pretty sparse, if the mall could partner or buy the garage, re-route the road that seperates them and change the access to the garage, demolishing the exisiting Dillards, adding more mall space with a Neimans (Though I'd really rather have a Saks, but I'll still shop there) and a Norstrom tacked on shouldn't be a problem, as well, with the old Club building gone, they could just tack onto the existing garage and make it much larger, this would fix the space issue and make it easier to close the road between them.

[J0e]

FYI. Article in the City Paper.

[dfwtiger]

From the Birmingham news:

Hoover Galleria to announce new tenant Speculation centers on Nordstrom opening first state store

Wednesday, November 28, 2007SHERRI C. GOODMANNews staff writer

The owners of the Riverchase Galleria will reveal a new tenant Friday that they describe as "one of the biggest names in fashion" during an invitation-only luncheon held at the Hoover mall.

Jim Wilson & Associates and General Growth Properties sent out invitations on Monday that promise "heads will turn."

Earlier this year, Belk Inc.'s decision to vacate the former Macy's spot at the Galleria and move into the former Parisian and McRae's spaces spurred speculation that Nordstrom may open its first Alabama store at the mall, which draws more than 12 million people a year.

Chicago-based General Growth has said it would like to land Nordstrom, a department store absent from Birmingham's retail landscape. General Growth, which operates 200 properties across the United States, is Nordstrom's biggest landlord.

Nordstrom, an upscale, Seattle-based department

[nsvlbimmerguy]

Which raises the question, WHERE IS OURS?... It's annoying enough already that Birmingham has a Saks, which they only have because Saks Co was once headquartered there during the Profitts years, but seriously, build people.

[titanhog]

Which raises the question, WHERE IS OURS?... It's annoying enough already that Birmingham has a Saks, which they only have because Saks Co was once headquartered there during the Profitts years, but seriously, build people.

[thanner]

I don't understand this either. Birmingham's metro is 1.1 million; Nashville's is something like 1.5 million. I'm guessing that Nordstrom would love to be in Music City, specifically at the Mall at Green Hills, and there's just not room *yet* for another department store. Davis Street plans for a "fashion department store" in a future phase along with 100,000 more square feet of small-shop retail. Seems like the higher-end companies can't wait to get to Nashville. I'm sure if the Mall at Green Hills had a third level and two more spots for anchor stores, they could easily be filled.

[it's just dave]

I don't think anybody should worry too much about our retail landscape. In time, we'll have it all. After all, we can pass our time in the interim counting tower cranes, the foreshadowing of many things to come.

[nsvlbimmerguy]

I don't understand this either. Birmingham's metro is 1.1 million; Nashville's is something like 1.5 million. I'm guessing that Nordstrom would love to be in Music City, specifically at the Mall at Green Hills, and there's just not room *yet* for another department store. Davis Street plans for a "fashion department store" in a future phase along with 100,000 more square feet of small-shop retail. Seems like the higher-end companies can't wait to get to Nashville. I'm sure if the Mall at Green Hills had a third level and two more spots for anchor stores, they could easily be filled.

[ATLBrain]

I really can't comment b/c I'm not too familiar, but I recall being surprised almost 20 years ago that Nashville's shopping was not better than it was. I realize things have changed, but it sounds like it still lags comparable markets.

It seems to me that there is a little dilution of the luxury segment between two higher-end malls that are at least 10 miles apart. I guess one will take the lead sooner or later.

[dfwtiger]

Yes...isn't the Nashville metro area like twice as populated at Birmingham's?

[thanner]

It seems to me that there is a little dilution of the luxury segment between two higher-end malls that are at least 10 miles apart. I guess one will take the lead sooner or later.

[dfwtiger]

Yes, this does seem to be an issue...I'm sure the folks who own/operate the Galleria wish they'd held out for Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, or even Saks instead of going completely middle-of-the-road with their anchors. Now they don't even have Parisian to boast about since Belk slapped its name on that wing (granted, it's got better brands than, for instance, the Gallatin Belk).

TMAGH is definitely the nicer of the two (Cool Springs and Green Hills), but I wish they'd move on from this "featuring Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton" campaign and work on bringing another anchor. Since most of the upmarket shops at Green Hills aren't going to open another Nashville location any time soon, I think it's safe to say that mall has cemented its lead in the luxury market here. Cool Springs can hope for the Banana Republic-level stuff (which it has), but I think retail a step up (Kenneth Cole, Armani Exchange, Club Monaco, etc.) will only consider Green Hills.

[nsvlbimmerguy]

I think this might be the mix everyone wants in Nashville

North Park Center - Dallas

[ariesjow]

I emailed Nordstrom a few months ago to see if they're coming to Nashville soon. Here was there response:

"Thank you for contacting Nordstrom regarding the possibility of a new Nordstrom store in your area. At this time, Nordstrom does not have immediate plans to open a Full Line Nordstrom store or a Nordstrom Rack store in the Nashville, TN area. I am sorry for any disappointment or inconvenience. Please know that I have forwarded your e-mail to our Real Estate Department for their information and consideration."

My guess would be that there is no good location for them at the moment. Mall at Green Hills doesn't have enough space and I'm not sure if Cool Springs would work for them. What I'd like to see is possibly another open air center along the lines of Hill Center or a more upscale Avenue with some bigger anchor stores like Nordstrom and Crate and Barrel mixed and smaller stores we don't have in the metro like Armani Exchange, Puma, Gucci, Steve Madden, and Burberry. We could throw some local restaurants and retailers in for a unique experience. Ideally, it would pedestrian-oriented with parking garages and sidewalks to get people out of their cars. Some residential and offices above the retail could really add to the lure.

Of course, a new downtown mall would be even nicer but I'm not sure if a developer is ready to take that risk again yet. Maybe the future Music City Center could be wrapped in some quality retail and have a residential component.