Goodbye Foleys

[kjb434]

The Lord Taylor space as small shops is only a concept nothing concrete.

The existing Macy's location should never be used for an department store location again because of the lack of foot traffic.

You need more of draw (a theatre) or use it for something else (residential).

[Kirzania]

You need more of draw (a theatre) or use it for something else (residential).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can see the line of women organizing now to have condos in the old Macy's. And the husbands with iron grips on their wallets and fear in their eyes.

[YakuzaIce]

Article from HBJ

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/sto.../01/story2.html

Don't think it has been posted yet.

I hope I am reading this wrong or it is a typo " The Town Center at Coconut Point in Bonito Springs, Fla., includes 305 condo units totaling 45,000 square feet along with 1.2 million square feet of retail space." Because those would be some tiny condos.

[kjb434]

I'm thinking that 450,000 square feet would be correct. That would be an average around 1400 square feet per unit.

The company Simon mentions about the residential tower is Hanover. This is the company that built the Dominion and is building a tower in the Riverway office complex.

[Houston19514]

The Lord Taylor space as small shops is only a concept nothing concrete.

The existing Macy's location should never be used for an department store location again because of the lack of foot traffic.

You need more of draw (a theatre) or use it for something else (residential).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The L&T conversion appears to be well beyond the concept phase: "Simon Property has already had to reinvent the space that up until January housed Lord & Taylor. The company is subdividing about 100,000 square feet for restaurants, specialty shops and a children's play area. The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Del Frisco's and Kona Grill have signed leases to open restaurants there."

Galleria space "challenge"

[kirbyaustex]

Thanks Houston 19514.

[ssullivan]

For some reason I didn't think about this until just now, but one of the malls that may be hardest hit in terms of vacant anchor space will be the massive King of Prussia mall outside Philadelphia. Four of its eight anchor stores will be affected by the Federated/May merger. Macy's and Bloomingdale's are already in the mall's Court section, and Strawbridge's and Lord & Taylor are two of the six anchors in the larger Plaza section. I'm always amazed at how some of my coworkers will spend all their free time at this mall shopping when they're up at our HQ which is just a few miles down the road from the mall, but then I guess not everyone comes from a city with a lot of good shopping options.

[HtownKid]

Hmmm would rather have some new store come in town but maybe they will intergrat outdoor shopping who knows I hope they just tear the Macys Down an start fresh instead of trying to convert the building. Do you think they'll tear that whole wing down?

[hokieone]

Hmmm would rather have some new store come in town but maybe they will intergrat outdoor shopping who knows I hope they just tear the Macys Down an start fresh instead of trying to convert the building.  Do you think they'll tear that whole wing down?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't think they can tear down the entire wing, depending on what you consider the entire wing. That Fox Sport's Grill seems to be doing pretty well, and is fairly new over there. They made some recent updates to the center court section there as well. In some ways, I really like that wing, just because its so easy to park at that Macy's because no one is over there. Then exiting is easy, because you just go straight down what I think is Hidalgo to exit. I hate the new Foley's/ Nordstrom garage. Sounds petty, but it turns into a mess on weekends.

[DJ V Lawrence]

Couldn't they use some of the parking lot space at street level to expand the Galleria if they wanted to? Because even though I think Lord & Taylor would be better as smaller retail and restaurants now that it's vacant, and I think the current Macy's would be better as an Edwards Cinema and a residental tower on that side of the mall, I also think Galleria would fare off better with more department stores.

Right now, we're looking at four department stores. Four department stores for the 5th largest mall in America? That's like, um, wierd dude. It'd be nice to see the Dillards building connected to the mall at least like I talked about earlier in the thread. And maybe room for a Bloomingdales in the same area of the mall as Dillards as WELL as a couple smaller stores and a large indoor/outdoor foodcourt would help.

As big as Galleria is right now, I'd REALLY love to see Galleria get bigger than it already is. Small store wise, and quantity wise, it's great.

[kjb434]

I think the Galleria is better off with less Department stores. The small shops to me is what makes the mall great. All the selection at all these specialty shops.

[stolitx]

I would imagine that the Foley's in Almeda and Northwest Malls would be likely to close. I can't imagine that Macys would put their brand name on those locations.

Those are the locations of the big Foley's shoe department clearance sales. I will miss that most of all.

[MidtownCoog]

Macy's is making a BAAAAADDD move.

And we, the consumers, will take the hit most.

[SpaceAge]

Source?  Or can you at least attach some square footage numbers to that claim?  I'd be interested to know

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Sharpstown Foley's is still the largest store of any kind in the Houston area according to HBJ. It is an immense 367,000 SF in size. That is one big store especially considering it was built in the 1960's. Among the next in size is the new Dillard's at Baybrook Mall in Webster at 320,000 SF (Galveston Daily News) and the new Ikea at 300,000 SF (HBJ).

The new Baybrook Foley's is 240,000 SF (GDN) and Foley's at the Galleria is 248,000 SF (HAIF).

[citykid09]

Houston needs a Bloomingdales. I would like to see them in one of those locations. Then the owners of the Galleria should by surrounding land, and bulid new urban shopping. The area could become like an "Uptown TimeSquare."

[NewMND]

Everyone keeps mentioning Bloomingdales, so did they at one point declare their intentions on opening up a store in Texas?

[kjb434]

The only land available to buy around the Galleria is the open land next to the Waterwall and the Williams tower parking garage. The church at the corner of Alabama and Sage is not selling. Galleria four was supposed to be much larger by building on the church site, but the wouldn't accept any offer. From what I hear the offer exceeded the value of the property greatly.

Outside of that, the only place left is to go up or take over the Dillard's parking area. Not likely to happen.

I find the Galleria is plenty big enough. The evolving process of the gallerial real estate complex should involve the apartment/condo development.

Do we really need a Bloomingdales? Do they have something no other department store in Houston sells? Neiman Marcus sells some higher end stuff. So does Macy's.

[kirbyaustex]

Who owns the land by the Waterwall and Transco Tower parking garage?

[kjb434]

Don't know. I'll have to check HCAD.org for the answer.

[lowspark]

The Sharpstown Foley's is still the largest store of any kind in the Houston area according to HBJ.  It is an immense 367,000 SF in size.  That is one big store especially considering it was built in the 1960's. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually, the Foley's Sharpstown location was smaller when it was built in the 60s. The store was greatly expanded around 1978 or so, which was about the same time they put a second floor on the mall, and it was at that time that they built the parking garage.

[Guest danax]

I'm wondering what will happen to the huge Foley's warehouse off of the Gulf Fwy. near the Eastwood Transit Cntr. Could be a good townhouse spot.

[hokieone]

Do we really need a Bloomingdales?  Do they have something no other department store in Houston sells?  Neiman Marcus sells some higher end stuff.  So does Macy's.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I actually really like Bloomingdale's. Its not that Macy's doesn't sell anything nice, but for now its really that there is Macy's level and then Neiman/ Saks level. Not much in between. Nordstrom does the semi-annual year thing. Bloomingdale's is like a high end Macy's with the same type of one day sales every so often. So its like having nicer brands around, but with some of the same sales discount policies you don't find at some of the really high end stores.

[citykid09]

I just thought it would be nice to have a Bloomingdales since most of the other major markets have them.

[MidtownCoog]

Downtown Foley's is PACKED today!

[ssullivan]

Downtown Foley's is PACKED today!

That's great. I'm sure it's because of the sales-tax free weekend and their sale.

I've seen it that way a couple of times on Saturdays during the Christmas season in the last couple of years when they had a huge sale with early-bird specials and there were lines outside every door waiting to get in.

I think the downtown Foley's draws a lot of east Houston and near-northside traffic because it's the closest nicer department store to those areas.

[hokieone]

Yeah I think if Federated were really thinking big, they would in fact convert the downtown Foley's to a Bloomingdale's. It would be a huge score for downtown Houston, plus the one downtown seems large enough to be one. I think it would maybe even be easier than in the Galleria now that they seem set on the old Lord and Taylor spot being converted to small stores and Foley's becoming Macy's. The chances of this happening are probably about zero though.

[Houstonian in Iraq]

Foley's begins to fade as Macy's steps up

Chains' owner prepares to make switch next month

article

[musicman]

article

Interesting how they'll operate two Macy's at the Galleria.

The top 5 floors at the Downtown location will be empty cause all those corporate employees were given the pink slip

Each store will carry a similar mix of men's, women's and children's merchandise, Smith said. The Foley's location will continue to carry furniture, while the existing Macy's location will not.

[shhgrr]

I must be alone in my sadness over the loss of Foleys. This past Tuesday as I drove down I-10 I saw them changing the sign on the building. I almost cried...actually, many of my friends did! I LOVE, or LOVED shopping at Foleys. I could always find what I wanted at a price I could afford, and who didn't love all their sales and the extra coupon discounts? To me, Foleys is a part of Houston. I really can't imagine the city without it. It took me years to get over the loss of Joskes...and I've never become a Dillards shopper. So, where will I shop? Neimans, Saks, Nordstroms are great stores but too pricey for me on a regular basis. Penneys and Khols don't carry decent merchandise...so what's left? Houston continues to lose its personality, and it is very sad indeed! I'll never be a Macys fan. I'll give it a try, but they'll have to win me over. I don't particualy like change...especially when someone seems to have no respect for what was a great department store. I was hoping Federated would at least keep the name Foleys. How about the Red Apple Sale? Is that also a goner?

Today was my last trip to Foleys at Memorial City. It was crowded, but all over the store I heard the same thing...people talking about the loss of Foleys. I know there are more people in Houston who feel like I do!

[Trae]

Isn't it just a name change?

And Welcome to HAIF.