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I'll bet Dillards owns that lot (but not the Zone d'erotica) and will gladly sell it for a cool $100 Million, otherwise I'm sure we would have seen a redevelopment there many years ago. Otherwise they aren't leaving. They're not "attached" to the Galleria, but they are essentially a part of that complex and they would be a fool to leave the biggest, best performing mall in this whole region of the US.

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Why not develop a multi story Dillard's into the podium of a new mixed use development/tower on that plot? Maybe built it in their parking lot fronting westheimer, while the current building stays open, and then tear down the old Dillard's and garage once the new one is open and build a second phase/additional tower there?

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I'll bet Dillards owns that lot (but not the Zone d'erotica) and will gladly sell it for a cool $100 Million, otherwise I'm sure we would have seen a redevelopment there many years ago. Otherwise they aren't leaving. They're not "attached" to the Galleria, but they are essentially a part of that complex and they would be a fool to leave the biggest, best performing mall in this whole region of the US.

Pipe dreams, I'll bet not. They could hope for half of that. Yes, the Galleria is doing great, but not Dillard's. It looks like a rusting Ford Pinto next to a new Rolls Royce.

The Houston market has evolved and prefers the experience of what's featured in the world of Macy's (moderate) to Nordstrom (upscale), than to tacky Dillard's. Whatever niche they had is dead and irrelevant. The Macy's to Nordstrom range is the standard...Dillard's is not a premium All-American brand...never was.

They could even stay put, yet redevelop the property by reconstructing themselves with a couple towers and a hotel and an underground tunnel connecting to the Galleria. Put on some makeup and refresh...do something besides sit there and rot like an eyesore. Their pride is keeping them there...thinking the prestige of the Galleria will elevate their image. NOT.

Of course they can sit there wishing for a payday, but Houston will continue to pass by and sneer on their way to the Galleria. Only a fool wouldn't take that kind of money, especially when they're clearly out of their league...just look at their rich neighbor across the street. Dillard's can not keep up with the Jones's.

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901362214_1b25f84b15.jpg

Would rather see Zone D'erotica and the Shell gone first.

Hallelujah. Agreed. All of that crap (the entire lot) should have been gone! Dillard's will get a nice sum, but developers will let them rot if they're being overly greedy and think they're going to fleece potential buyers with a ridiculous asking price fit for Fifth Avenue.

Dillard's better remember that pigs get killed...hogs get slaughtered.

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Pipe dreams, I'll bet not. They could hope for half of that. Yes, the Galleria is doing great, but not Dillard's. It looks like a rusting Ford Pinto next to a new Rolls Royce.

The Houston market has evolved and prefers the experience of what's featured in the world of Macy's (moderate) to Nordstrom (upscale), than to tacky Dillard's. Whatever niche they had is dead and irrelevant. The Macy's to Nordstrom range is the standard...Dillard's is not a premium All-American brand...never was.

They could even stay put, yet redevelop the property by reconstructing themselves with a couple towers and a hotel and an underground tunnel connecting to the Galleria. Put on some makeup and refresh...do something besides sit there and rot like an eyesore. Their pride is keeping them there...thinking the prestige of the Galleria will elevate their image. NOT.

Of course they can sit there wishing for a payday, but Houston will continue to pass by and sneer on their way to the Galleria. Only a fool wouldn't take that kind of money, especially when they're clearly out of their league...just look at their rich neighbor across the street. Dillard's can not keep up with the Jones's.

 

Point being - Dillard's probably (assuming they own that lot) wouldn't sell except for a lot of money.

 

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hey, my great pal htownlive, do you have any form of insight as to when will neiman marcus completely renovate / expand their highly antiquated galleria store?  or heck, tear it down and rebuild a newer more modern luxury masterpiece along the lines of saks 5th avenue.  i am aware, that their houston store is currently the chains number #1 in sales.  however, everyone knows that this current galleria edifice is indeed too small and quite antiquated.  

 

you would think that they shall be currently making renovation / expansion plans, in light of the new forthcoming saks store.... right?

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hey, my great pal htownlive, do you have any form of insight as to when will neiman marcus completely renovate / expand their

highly antiquated galleria store? or heck, tear it down and rebuild a newer more modern luxury masterpiece along the lines of saks 5th avenue. i am aware, that their houston store is currently the chains number #1 in sales. however, everyone knows that this current galleria edifice is indeed too small and quite antiquated.

you would think that they shall be currently making renovation / expansion plans, in light of the new forthcoming saks store.... right?

Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus operate the finest stores in America. And yes, NM Houston Galleria, Beverly Hills, and Dallas NorthPark all vie for #1 continually. In certain markets, like Houston, those two fight to the death. So with SFA now constructing a new bigger palace, you can bet your last dollar that NM is at its drawing board now.

NM Houston Galleria usually gets a complete remodel every 7-10 yrs, but the new Saks flagship will only make them do something more extraordinary, and maybe quicker than usual. Idk of anything specific, but with the new Saks coming in 2016, a top-to-bottom remodel for NM will surely follow.

And at 225,000 sf, NM Houston Galleria is one of the largest. Beverly Hills is 185,000 sf, Dallas is about 230,000. NM Houston Galleria turns 50 in 2020, so I would guess a remodel will start just after the new Saks opens in 2016.

The question regarding NM and SFA is, which one will get the last anchor space at The Woodlands, as they both need an additional store in Houston. Nordstrom just opened a second store there last month.

Edited by HTOWN LIVE
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I can remember when that Dillard's was a Joske's. If there were a way to connect to the Galleria, that would make a whole lot of sense.

 

As for how Zone D'Erotica got that corner, I would imagine it must be making all kinds of money; otherwise the landlord would have raised the rent to something prohibitive and tried to redevelop those pad sites.

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And at 225,000 sf, NM Houston Galleria is one of the largest. Beverly Hills is 185,000 sf, Dallas is about 230,000. NM Houston Galleria turns 50 in 2020, so I would guess a remodel will start just after the new Saks opens in 2016.

 

 

The Houston NM at 224,000 sf is currently the second largest in the chain.  Only San Francisco is larger, at 252,000 sf.  Dallas Northpark is no. 3, at 218,000 sf.  Atlanta #4 at 206,000.   http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=118113&p=irol-storelocations

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The Houston NM at 224,000 sf is currently the second largest in the chain. Only San Francisco is larger, at 252,000 sf. Dallas Northpark is no. 3, at 218,000 sf. Atlanta #4 at 206,000. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=118113&p=irol-storelocations

You're right, I forgot NM San Francisco at Union Square is gigantic and simply marvelous.

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The Houston NM at 224,000 sf is currently the second largest in the chain.  Only San Francisco is larger, at 252,000 sf.  Dallas Northpark is no. 3, at 218,000 sf.  Atlanta #4 at 206,000.   http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=118113&p=irol-storelocations

much obliged as per the information houston19514.  i guess that it just seems that neiman marcus galleria, is just waaaay too small and extremely crowded.  sometimes, you can barely walk in that store without being afraid of knocking something off of a table / rack / display.  i have never ever felt this way when i'm shopping at galleria saks.  i really love neimans.. i just wish that they would construct a better more modern, and yet comfortable store. 

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Mods feel free to me this discussion to the galleria redevelopment thread...

I sincerely hope NM does NOT renovate their exterior. It's unique and charming. A fortress of luxury. As far as the interior goes, perhaps the ground level and men's basement level could use a face lift but the upper floors are fine.

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Mods feel free to me this discussion to the galleria redevelopment thread...

I sincerely hope NM does NOT renovate their exterior. It's unique and charming. A fortress of luxury. As far as the interior goes, perhaps the ground level and men's basement level could use a face lift but the upper floors are fine.

Yeah, the Neiman Marcus exterior is classic. Absolutely hope that doesn't change. Dillard's too. Refurbishing department store exteriors always ends in disaster. Usually it's stucco. Sometimes it's metal siding.

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Yeah, the Neiman Marcus exterior is classic. Absolutely hope that doesn't change. Dillard's too. Refurbishing department store exteriors always ends in disaster. Usually it's stucco. Sometimes it's metal siding.

so keep the Dillards.. build a residential/hotel tower in the parking lot fronting Westheimer (with GFR at least along part of Westheimer and the corner of Post Oak), with a garage podium big enough to house the Dillards parking... then tear down the old Dillards garage to build an office tower on another garage podium. wa-la, you maintain the same classic Dillards exterior, serving as the central portion of a podium supporting a large mixed use/multi tower development. reinforce the roof of Dillards to support a central courtyard/plaza between the two towers and this development would be golden.

that actually wouid be pretty damn cool and i like it better than demoing the Dillards for a brand new phase of a mixed use development. keep some of that classic architecture and maintain the large retail component to anchor the new development. does anyone have connections with someone who works high up at Dillards? lol

the only thing that could make a mixed use development at the Dillards site better would be that suggestion someone made of putting a tunnel under Post Oak between Dillards and theGalleria. or a big enclosed pedestrian bridge with stores along either side, between Dillards and Neimans. though you run into the same problems that plagued Galleria III, with the bridge stores being cut off from the rest of theGalleria shops by a large department store. maybe solve that by charging lower rents? though Dillards and Neimans arent exactly stores that i picture being linked by a bridge of stores with lower end retailers.

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Perhaps rebuilding the Dillard's parking garage as something else, though.

something else besides the fantasy office tower i proposed in its place? im down with whatever use for that Phase II tower, i just think it would be neat to have Dillards sandwiched between two towers and turn that whole property into a cohesive mixed use development.

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So im sure a lot of yall have noticed how I enjoy scheming up fantasy developments when I'm bored.. (Lol, there should probably be an entire thread dedicated to my wild proposals and sketches)

I had some free time last night to sketch out a Dillard's redevelopment.. (Keep in mind, im no architect, just someone with an affinity for urban development). I envisioned this with the Dillards facade being carried all the way around outside of the new podiums (minus the glass for the GFR), with some slender horizontal openings with that woven decorative screen stuff Dillards uses above the entrance on the upper floors for exhaust ventilation in the garages. Speaking of the decorative front entrance, I would recreate that on the east and west sides since the north side would be surrounded/not very visible from Westheimer anymore.

The high rise in the top left is a hotel, the bottom left is a condo tower, and the two on the right are office buildings.

View from Post Oak/West

4BF7D7E8-9658-4A2A-BF85-D46B0F59948C_zps

View from Westheimer/north

This time the hotel high rise is on the bottom left, the condo tower on the bottom right, and the two office buildings on the top.

0E978B0B-D8E3-4442-B189-0C03CBC1CE0F_zps

Red - Trader Joes

Green - 10 screen movie theater or other 30k sq ft entertainment

Black- Apartments (levels 2-4)

5 levels of parking in the southern portion since garages are shorter than GFR & residential, to make all the podiums the same height/look as Dillards.

E49F1D75-5F77-40FB-BEF7-A1C0ACD1CC44_zps

This would be a pedestrian shopping/hang out promenade type of corridor, leading from Westheimer to the front entrance of Dillards, lined with shops, and balconies overhead for bars and restaurants looking out over the promenade from above. There could even be a retractable glass Galleria-esque roof above that they could open and close depending on the weather. Throw in a few water features and some vegetation of course..

Orange - Ground Floor Retail

Pink - Second floor restaurants/bars

Blue - Parking (part of level 2, and 3-5)

Yellow - Dillard's

2F016FC3-F108-4E17-8FD4-EA3BDC61C789_zps

And then of course on top of the podiums there would be a dog run along with the typical amenities for the condo tower, a pool/spa and cafe for the hotel high rise, and a large park with gardens and an area for dogs around the office towers, with a small section cordoned off for the office workers and the rest for the apartment residents.

I originally wanted to put stuff on top of Dillards for all the people, but they would probably have to reengineer the roof for that, and I ended up with more room than expected on the other new podiums. Some greenery or something on top of Dillards would be nice though so the people in the towers around it aren't looking down at a bare roof.

Edited by cloud713
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  • 2 weeks later...

galleria-jewel-box-sideview2.jpg

 

http://swamplot.com/construction-set-to-begin-on-the-luxury-jewel-box-the-gallerias-chi-chi-pad-site/2014-11-20/

 

AS OF December 1, Galleria tenants and workers who park in the Blue Garage fronting Westheimer (labeled “Construction Zone” in the above site plan) will have to find another place to stash their rides. Explains an official “communiqué from the management office” of Unilev, operators of Galleria Tower II: “This relocation is to due to impending construction by Simon Properties of a free-standing retail structure that will be erected on the surface lot directly above the Blue Garage.” That structure will be going on the 14,000-sq.-ft. pad site in front of the portals to the Cheesecake Factory; it’ll be known colloquially as the “luxury jewel box.” Simon Properties intends the building to house up to 3 high-end retailers.

 

Crafting the jewel box is expected to take 8 months. according to the Unilev communiqué. A separate notice from garage operator AmeriPark indicates that “parking ambassadors” deployed onsite for the first 10 days will convey exiled motorists to replacement parking structures. The LJB is part of a much largerGalleria revamp project announced last year.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Sadly, if the proposed Galleria condo tower is built, many of the units will have views of The Mercer.  I know this is a bit off-topic, but it strikes me that an advantage of living at The Mercer is that one can have views of the Galleria/Uptown area w/o having to look at The Mercer!  Especially now, as the reptile slowly sluffs off its old skin.

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Sadly, if the proposed Galleria condo tower is built, many of the units will have views of The Mercer.  I know this is a bit off-topic, but it strikes me that an advantage of living at The Mercer is that one can have views of the Galleria/Uptown area w/o having to look at The Mercer!  Especially now, as the reptile slowly sluffs off its old skin.

Hey now.  That's insulting to reptiles!

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^True.  At least its an example of what not to do... I mean it would work in a tighter development area - like in/around the old part of Downtown.  It would still be pretty blah, and pretty bad architecturally, but it wouldn't be so visible and such a blight on the surrounding area.

 

Not to sidetrack this thread, but does anyone actually know anyone who lives there?  In the Mercer?  It may be a pretty nice place to live?

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Thank you, I was losing my mind trying to figure out why parking was so scarce but the mall was empty last night. They also were still playing Christmas Music. Twilight Zone stuff.

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  • 2 weeks later...

galleria_exterior.jpggalleria_interior.jpgla-perla-external-rendering.jpg

la-perla-internal-rendering.jpg

 

The Houston Galleria will welcome three new high-end retailers.

La Perla will open a store in the spring. The Italian women’s clothing designer specializes in lingerie. It has more than 150 boutiques worldwide, including in London Sloane Street, New York’s Madison Avenue and Milan Via Montenapoleone.

Céline, the French ready-to-wear and leather goods brand, will also open a store in 2016. The brand owns hundreds of stores worldwide and is sold at Barneys, Bergdof Goodman, Harrods in London and Galeries Lafayette in Paris.

The Webster, a multibrand luxury boutique, will open a location in Houston in the new luxury building, nicknamed the “jewel box” at the Galleria in November. The store runs from its flagship in an art deco building in Miami Beach. The store, which opened in 2009, has established itself in the fashion world. French buyer Laure Heriard Dubreuil edits and buys for the collection.

Tod’s, the shoe and luxury goods brand,  also plans to open its new 2,000 square foot store in summer 2015.

Additionally, Chanel renewed its lease and updated its 5,000-square-foot boutique.

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2015/02/new-luxury-tenants-to-open-stores-in-galleria/#30834101=4

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I noticed in the print edition of the chronicle (I'm sure it's online but I can't get through their paywall) that they mentioned "He said the next step to improve will the food court area and hopefully to bring a residential component to the top of the new Saks building"  Is the Saks building being built to accomodate a future tower on top, or are they just talking about a few apartments on a single story above (sort of a modern take on the old mainstreet first floor retail, second floor living)?

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  • The title was changed to Houston Photo: The Galleria Mall On Sage Rd. Facing Williams Tower

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