- Belk to invest $12.6 million for total renovation of two-level main store and opening of new 50,000 square foot men’s and kids store on first level of former Sears building
- Improvements to include exciting new shopping décor and expanded offerings of premium brands of apparel, shoes, accessories and home merchandise
CHARLOTTE, N.C., 2014-2-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — Belk today announced that it is investing $12.6 million to expand and completely renovate its store at CoolSprings Galleria, owned by CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (NYSE: CBL) and TIAA-CREF, in Nashville (Franklin), TN to create a new fashion flagship store to serve the greater Nashville region. The project includes a major renovation of its current two-level main store and the opening of a new 50,000-square-foot men’s and kids store on the first level of the former Sears building at the mall. The new Belk flagship will offer an enhanced shopping experience for customers along with expanded selections of most-wanted fashion and premium brands.
Construction of the new men’s and kids store will begin in October 2014 with completion set for March 2015. The main store renovation will begin in February 2015 with a grand reopening set for October 2015. In addition, Belk’s home merchandise departments now located in two separate shops at the mall will be expanded and relocated to an 18,000-square-foot space on the second level of the main store as part of the project. The renovated main store and new men’s and kids store will have a total combined space of 185,000 square feet.
All men’s and kids merchandise departments now in the two-level main store (including shoes) will be greatly expanded and relocated to the former Sears building. Selling space in the main store formerly used for men’s and kids will be reallocated to expand women’s apparel, shoes, accessories (including handbags and fashion jewelry) and cosmetics departments. The ladies shoe department will more than double in size, allowing Belk to significantly increase its selection of top-name shoe brands and styles. The store is also updating and expanding its ladies accessories and fashion jewelry areas and adding open display jewelry and cosmetics fixtures to enhance merchandise presentation and make it easier for customers to shop and find what they’re looking for.
“We’re creating the ultimate Belk shopping experience for our customers at CoolSprings Galleria with this expansion and remodel,” said Jan Clevenger, chair, Belk Western Division based in Birmingham, Ala. “The enhancements will feature the latest in retail design, décor and layout and the added space will allow us to greatly increase our merchandise assortments, including many new premium brand offerings for the whole family. All of these improvements combined will make the store one of our premier Belk flagships to serve Franklin and the entire Nashville region. It will represent the best of Belk and is a sign of our continued commitment to deliver Modern.Southern.Style. to this community.”
“We are very excited about Belk’s renovation and expansion of their presence at CoolSprings Galleria,” said Stephen Lebovitz, president and chief executive officer, CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. “The redevelopment of the Sears location at CoolSprings Galleria allows us to significantly elevate the Nashville shopping experience by delivering some of the most in-demand retailers to the community, including Belk’s flagship store and Nashville’s first and only American Girl. We look forward to announcing even more new-to-Nashville retailers in the near future.”
Belk of CoolSprings Galleria opened as a Parisian store in 1993 and was acquired by Belk in 2006. In 2007, the store introduced home merchandise in two mall shops at the center.
About Belk, Inc.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Belk, Inc. (www.belk.com) is the nation’s largest family owned and operated department store company with 300 Belk stores in 16 Southern states and a growing digital presence. Founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, N.C., the company is in the third generation of Belk family leadership. Belk has been committed to community involvement since its inception. Each year, the company gives 2.5 percent of its pretax income back to the communities it serves. In the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2013, the company and its associates, customers and vendors, donated more than $19 million to those communities.
About CoolSprings Galleria
CoolSprings Galleria is a more than one million square-foot super-regional shopping destination featuring more than 150 stores including Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Brighton Collectibles, Coach, Forever 21, J.Crew, Pottery Barn, Pandora, The Apple Store, The Art of Shaving, White House | Black Market, Williams-Sonoma and many more. CoolSprings Galleria is anchored by Belk, Dillard’s, JCPenney, and Macy’s and is conveniently located off I-65 at exits 68 and 69, just fifteen miles south of Nashville. For additional information, find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CoolSpringsGalleria, follow us on Twitter @ShopCoolSprings or visit www.CoolSpringsGalleria.com.
About CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
CBL is one of the largest and most active owners and developers of malls and shopping centers in the United States. CBL owns, holds interests in or manages 152 properties, including 91 regional malls/open-air centers. The properties are located in 29 states and total 86.1 million square feet including 5.6 million square feet of non-owned shopping centers managed for third parties. Headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, CBL has regional offices in Boston (Waltham), MA, Dallas (Irving), TX, and St. Louis, MO. Additional information can be found at www.cblproperties.com.
For further information: Belk, Inc.: Jessica Graham, vice president, corporate communications and community relations, 704-426-8333, Jessica_graham@belk.com CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.: Dan Summerlin, director of corporate relations, 423-490-8315, dan_summerlin@cblproperties.com
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