Men's Wearhouse in DTD?

[Kelley USA]

Houston-based Men's Wearhouse is in discussions with city of Dallas representatives that could bring the retailer into downtown. A source familiar with the deal says the company has its eye on space in the former Titche-Goettinger Department Store building on Main Street at St. Paul. If an agreement can be struck, a Men's Wearhouse store in south Irving likely would relocate to the Dallas site, which could open as early as May. Our source says the city has offered two years' free rent, money to "fix up" the building and tax abatements. Men's Wearhouse stores average 5,500 square feet...

[Columbus Civil]

Are we going to like the way it looks?

[TexasStar]

Good one, Civil!

[JBB]

I guarantee it.

[aceplace]

So they pass the savings on to us?

Well, not all of it...;)

[tamtagon]

Our source says the city has offered two years' free rent, money to "fix up" the building and tax abatements.
That's a pretty good deal.

[Kelley USA]

if they're offering that to Men's Wearhouse, imagine what they might offer to Barnes & Noble...

[tamtagon]

Does the city have a program for independant, local merchants struggling without the benefit of corporate favoritism? Maybe Dallas should consider making a name for itself as a govt catering to the goal oriented individuals with good ideas, rather than impersonal corporate interests with good accountants.

[psukhu]

This is great. They also have an urban one on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

I shop at the one on Preston, just south of NW highway. I'll try to support this one if they build it.

[dallastophoenix]

I'm not sure about the 2 years free rent, but this store would likely do well down there...

[gc]

Good news for sure. Sure is a GREAT incentive though.

[bloodandpopcorn]

Again... I understand the incentive. The first major relocation of an important retailer, isn't just going to happen, BAM! -- Really, I think getting one relocation in there (yes, even if it's Men's Warehouse, though I have been known to shop there) will really up the possibility of other big retailers to move in.

I agree, though, that it would be great to fill up these spaces with smaller, local retailers. Maybe getting this DT could help that, too!

So much great news for central Dallas coming in such a short period!

[John T Roberts]

Seems to me that the City of Dallas should consider some kind of incentive program to get local retailers to move back into downtown. Maybe they could offer something like the two years free rent. This program should only be offered to companies based in the Dallas City Limits.

[tamtagon]

If I owned and operated a shop on Greenville or in Deep Ellum, I would be angered by what seems to be the prefered treatment given to a big, affluent company. Owner/operators have a vested interest in the neighborhood of their business, much more than a store manager focused mostly on the profit of a corporate entity. Perhaps the best way to sooth downtown's problems associated with vagrancy and crime is an influx of homegrown business operators who will take an active role in the neighborhood.

[Kelley USA]

I don't see that adding a bunch of local merchants does much to bring people downtown... I beleive there should be a good mix of national and local merchants- but you need the national chains to draw the people... This could be a stepping stone for other retailers to follow!

[tamtagon]

I agree, Kelly, that a mix is necessary, although it is difficult to glean that from my previous posts. I think The Men's Warehouse would be great in downtown, an idea location to sell suits. The national/regional operations have location longevity - vital at this point of CBD redevelopment. I dont mean to seem against incenting chain relocations downtown, I just hope a similar incentive is avaliable to "mom 'n pop" operations. I doubt that any one small retail business owner would relocate in downtown without the constant attraction of a well known brand name next door - but two years of free rent may be just the thing to make a successful small business.

AND, downtown may be inappropriate for a cluster of independants rather more suited to big brand names. Deep Ellum, Greenville (upper, middle, lower, lowest), Uptown, Cedar Springs - these areas might always be a better location for specialty shops - it all depends on the nature of who is spending money downtown. The city should at least avoid situations like:


With so much talk from Dallas city and business leaders about the need to revitalize downtown, small-business owner Todd Hedrick says he expected some sort of welcome from a city representative when he opened his new business, Salon Gossip, a hair salon and salon products retail store, on Commerce Street in downtown Dallas.

He was surprised when none came. The only people from the city Hedrick saw were the building inspectors. And, he says, he didn't exactly get that warm and fuzzy welcome-to-the-neighborhood feel from them.


http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2003/09/22/editorial2.html?page=1>

[gc]

Anything new on this front?

[clipper]

Someone at City Hall told me the deal was dead, but I can't confirm.

[gc]

Someone at City Hall told me the deal was dead, but I can't confirm.

Thanks Clip. I figured it was dead, but just had to ask.

[tamtagon]

I wonder if/when The Men's Warehouse will reconsider a CBD store. In the first half of 2004, venturing into the CBD was considered too risky despite the City of Dallas' incentive of two rent free years.

[Texan#1]

the Mens Wearhouse closed the Irving store a while back... maybe they're still planning on opening the downtown location!