Nordstrom to Open First Alabama Store at Riverchase Galleria in BirminghamSEATTLE, WA Nov. 30 -- Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc., a leading fashion specialty retailer, announced it has signed a letter of intent to open a new Nordstrom store at Riverchase Galleria in Birmingham. The two-level Nordstrom will be approximately 143,000 square feet and will open in the former Macy's location. Scheduled to open spring 2012, the new Nordstrom will be the retailer's first Alabama store.
"We've been looking for the right opportunity to open a store in the Birmingham area for years," said Erik Nordstrom, president of stores for Nordstrom. "We're eager to serve Alabama customers who already know us and to build relationships with those who are experiencing Nordstrom for the first time."
"Nordstrom sets the standard for retail excellence, something our shoppers have come to expect from GGP and Riverchase Galleria," said Bob Michaels, president and chief operating officer of General Growth Properties, Inc. "This is a great opportunity to continue providing an unparalleled line-up of retail for the Birmingham shopper. Nordstrom's commitment to outstanding merchandise and superior customer service will be a perfect complement to the existing department stores."
"Riverchase Galleria is the premiere super-regional shopping center in the southeast," said Jim Wilson, III, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Jim Wilson & Associates, LLC. "We continue to seek out and attract the most stellar tenants in the country and this is the case with Nordstrom, one of the leading fashion specialty retailers in the United States. My father, Jim Wilson, Jr., had the vision to bring Nordstrom to the Riverchase Galleria and for the past seven years, up until his death in 2006, worked toward that goal. We are excited to see his dream come to fruition with the announcement of Nordstrom joining the Riverchase lineup. Nordstrom's presence will be a shopping boon to the City of Hoover, the Birmingham area and the entire Alabama market."
Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 157 stores located in 28 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 101 full-line stores, 51 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques, one freestanding shoe store and two clearance stores.
OK, so it's not opening until 2012, but no doubt it will be worth the wait! Word is that the reason construction will take so long is that the area surrounding the site will be totally redone to create a streetscape shopping experience.
