New York City — Macy’s, Inc. has unveiled an unprecedented, 4-year renovation that will revamp Macy’s flagship store at Herald Square in New York City. Work will begin in spring 2012.
New York City — Macy’s, Inc. has unveiled an unprecedented, 4-year renovation that will reinvent and elevate the shopping experience at Macy’s flagship store at Herald Square in New York City. Work will begin in early spring 2012 on the $400 million project and continue in phases through the fall of 2015. The majority of every floor, virtually every department and the exterior of the building will be improved over the life of the project. The store will remain open and operating during construction, with the location of some departments shifting temporarily.
“The excitement, size and scale of this remodel reinforces our conviction that Macy’s Herald Square is and will remain a retail store in a class by itself. Our upcoming top-to-bottom remodel represents an investment in the future growth of our business,” says Terry J. Lundgren, Macy’s, Inc. chairman, president and CEO.
Key elements of the remodel project include:
• A 100,000-square-foot expansion of the store’s selling space to a total of 1.2 million square feet by opening up space currently used for stock and offices and extending the mezzanine level in the Broadway Building.
• Infusing technology and new media into the shopping experience, including interactive store directories, a system to stream live video feeds of Macy’s events nationwide and and new wayfinding signage.
• A new table-service restaurant on the sixth floor with window access along Broadway that will provide views of the Empire State Building and Midtown Manhattan. The all-new restaurant will be among 22 restaurants and foodservice stations throughout the store that will accommodate seating for about 1,100 customers — an increase of nearly 40%.
• A restoration of the store’s exterior to re-capture its original grandeur. The ornate “Memorial Entrance” on 34th Street will be restored and reopened. Windows along Broadway, 34th Street and Seventh Avenue, which have been covered up over the years, will be reopened. Windows on the upper floors also will be uncovered to allow more natural light into the building. Sidewalks will be replaced, with Macy’s-branded paved “welcome mats” added at every entrance. Awnings and canopies reminiscent of the original building will be added. New exterior lighting will highlight the building’s architectural details.
• Preservation of 42 of 43 historic wooden escalators in the current store — a unique and distinguishing feature of Macy’s Herald Square. (One current wooden escalator will be removed to supply replacement parts for the others.)
• Expanding and upgrading amenities. Nearly 300 additional fitting rooms will be added over the next 4 years. Restroom facilities will be added and improved.
• Operating systems to improve environmental sustainability, including a new state-of-the-art energy management system and expanded use of LED lighting, that is expected to reduce annual energy use by 15% to 20%.
The first portion of the current Macy’s Herald Square store was opened in 1902. The store was expanded in three additional phases to its current form by 1931. The current building includes nearly 2.2 million gross square feet. Over the course of the remodel project, an estimated 1,600 construction-related positions will be created. By fall 2015, Macy’s plans to add about 800 new positions to the store’s existing year-round workforce of about 4,600 persons.
Macy’s, Inc.’s internal planning, design and construction team is leading the Macy’s Herald Square renovation program, with master planning support from New York –based STUDIO V Architecture. Component elements were designed by New York-based Highland Associates, New York-based Kevin Kennon Architects and Westchester, Ill.-based Charles Sparks + Company.
Macy’s, Inc. operates about 850 department stores under the names of Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. The company also operates six Bloomingdale’s Outlet stores.