New tenant for old Jacobson's

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 12:22 pm

Dunno, but a lot of our African-American professional athletes choose to live in Leawood.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:54 pm

This discussion is getting dumber by the minute.

Oh yeah...and I guess I didn't realize that racism starts with millionaire NFL players.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 9:23 pm

trailerkid wrote:This discussion is getting dumber by the minute.

Oh yeah...and I guess I didn't realize that racism starts with millionaire NFL players.

I never implied it did...I jus' said that Leawood isn't a racist suburb and that the "white sheets" comment seemed very inappropriate unless it was meant in a different way. Jus' can't figure out how it was meant and ShowMe isn't explaining.

GuyInLenexa · Post by **GuyInLenexa** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 6:24 pm

I hate to digress from the ridiculous digression this post has gone to, but over lunch today I found out some interesting information of what is most likely going to happen to Jacobson’s in Leawood Towne Centre.
Von Maur will most likely be the new tenant. Probably by Fall of 2004.
Von Maur has moved into four location previously occupied by Jacobson’s. Two in metropolitan Detroit, one in Ann Arbor, and one in Louisville, KY. They also recently opened one in Wichita, KS.
I have been in several ones, and I liked them. Somewhat upscale, but still family owned. Gift wrap and shipping are free, they offer interest free charge accounts, and a nice merchandise selection.
They are still family owned, the new president James Von Maur is only 34 years old. Their philosophy reminds me a lot of the Neiman-Marcus of my youth, when Stanley Marcus still ran the business.
I think this is exciting, I think it will be a nice addition to Johnson County and the entire metropolitan area.
The second group that was looking at the old Jacobson’s store was the May Company. Probably for The Jones Store. It would not surprise me that they would have closed the Metcalf South store and opened a new one in Leawood. However they are not a likely candidate.
The feasibility of changing The Jones Store to Famous-Barr is being looked at. I gues for cost cutting measures, they have done that to several department stores in their company already.
Here are some sites on Von Maur:

http://www.freep.com/money/business/shop12_20030912.htm

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/s ... ily16.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stor ... st=s_cn_hl

http://www.vonmaur.com

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 3:02 pm

Von Maur is the Nordstrom of Iowa....been in one, not too interested in a KC affiliate.

Also remember that Jacobson's in Leawod was the top store in their failed company. I think So Jo Co would really do good with a "status store" like Saks or Neiman's because status seems to be all that area is. They'd eat it up!

Jones doesn't really fit down there, but stranger things have happened. I hate the name Famous-Barr and hope May doesn't change Jones. It'd be cool if Hall's built a store at Town Center and then built another one at Zona Rosa. Then we'd a have an upscale chain that's local.

KC0KEK · Post by **KC0KEK** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 3:39 pm

What about Macy's? They left the KC market in the '80s. Would they return?

GuyInLenexa · Post by **GuyInLenexa** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:19 pm

I agree with you, Trailerkid, Neiman-Marcus would do well in Kansas City. If one could survive for over forty years in Fort Worth TX, surely it would do well here.
My first job in high school was a stock boy at the FW Neiman-Marcus, the second store to be built outside of their home, Dallas. In fact I helped carry packages for former first lady, Lady Bird Johnson.
Neiman-Marcus is not really expanding with new stores; their last two were in Coral Gables FL and Plano TX.
I would be curious to see what the demographic criterion is for locating their stores. For instance, Austin and San Antonio never had a NM full line department store.
I once heard that NM would not move into a store that was already occupied; they did, however in White Plaines, NY where Bergdorf-Goodman was.
I think Hall’s would be great, it is so exclusive KC.
Macy’s they are busy taking over the individual stores names in their corporation (Rich’s in Atlanta, Goldsmith’s in Memphis, Bon Marche in the PacNW and Lazarus in Indianapolis. They usually have new stores that are 150,000 – 200,000 s.f.
Von Maur will be interesting to watch, I am looking forward to any ONE tenant to occupy the space instead of it being broken up.
I would not be shocked if they have not looked at Zona Rosa. The square footage of their stores vary in size greatly (look at their store tour on their site). A new retail face will only diversify the entire metro’s shopping choices.
A huge vacancy like the old Jacobson’s is not good for the commercial real estate market for all of Greater KC.

LG

ShowME · Post by **ShowME** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 3:28 pm

If anyone knows anything about Leawood history they'll understand that the city was founded on the premise of exclusionary zoning and even had an elaborate series of ponds and lakes that were supposed to be built near where Hallbrook now lies but were scratched after city leaders claimed that all the N _ _ _ _ RS would come over from Missouri and fish. That's why I say the #1 seller at the Halloween Express are white sheets. It's not rocket science fellas!

KC0KEK · Post by **KC0KEK** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 3:39 pm

ShowME wrote:If anyone knows anything about Leawood history they'll understand that the city was founded on the premise of exclusionary zoning and even had an elaborate series of ponds and lakes that were supposed to be built near where Hallbrook now lies but were scratched after city leaders claimed that all the N _ _ _ _ RS would come over from Missouri and fish. That's why I say the #1 seller at the Halloween Express are white sheets. It's not rocket science fellas!

Sad but true, according to all of the KC histories that I've read.

GuyInLenexa · Post by **GuyInLenexa** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 3:46 pm

I am not that familiar with the local history, I am certain such ordinances existed in every municipality in the past.
When I first moved to this area there was an article in The Pitch regarding public swimming in the fountains in the eastern side of KCMO.
I am certain that the same swimmers would not be allowed to swim in the Nichols Fountain in The Plaza, both are public property.

Post by **mean** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 3:46 pm

I can't believe they were worried about fishing. It makes much more sense to worry about covert raids on watermelon farms and fried chicken stands.

Har har har.

F racists.

ShowME · Post by **ShowME** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 3:55 pm

I believe the times are changing though. I frequently shop at the new WalMart Supercenter off 135th & State Line on the Missouri side and it's very diverse. I never thought I'd see the day when Leawood soccer mom's shop under the same roof as customers from the Ruskin area. It's all good.

tat2kc · Post by **tat2kc** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 5:16 pm

Actually, Guy, swimming in any fountian in KC is illegal, because of the risk of electoction from the lighting, and the contaminants in the water (its untreated and extremely unhealthy to ingest or get into cuts). I am sure quite soon, some kiddo will get deathly ill, cut their foot on something, or get electrocuted, and then the city will get sued for a butt load of money.

If parents really don't care about the health and safety of their kids, jump on in! But dont' bitch and moan if your kid ends up in the hospital or dead because of your poor parenting skills.

Sorry, this is a pet peeve of mine. The city can't protect everyone from their own stupidity. No swimming signs are posted for a reason.

phxcat · Post by **phxcat** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 6:34 pm

You are taking a part of history that nobody knows about, is not really relevant at the present, and is shared by several other cities on both sides of the state line, but more prominently in Missouri, and using it to slander modern Leawood now without any explanation, except that you just don't like Kansas. That is wrong.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 3:50 pm

phxcat wrote:You are taking a part of history that nobody knows about, is not really relevant at the present, and is shared by several other cities on both sides of the state line, but more prominently in Missouri, and using it to slander modern Leawood now without any explanation, except that you just don't like Kansas. That is wrong.

Agreed!

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:52 am

Jones store????

KC0KEK · Post by **KC0KEK** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 10:39 am

It does seem odd. The only reasons I can think of are:

a) Jones knew it was a prime location for an in- or out-of-market competitor, so they grabbed it to make it more time-consuming for someone else to move in.

b) Like the two Wal-Mart Neighborhood Stores one mile apart on Metcalf, the Jones stores at Oak Park, Town Center and Metcalf South are supposed to cater to people who are unwilling to drive very far to shop.

c) Despite what they say and have invested in the Metcalf South facility, they still plan to bail out of there once the Town Center store is open.

Comments?

Midtownkid · Post by **Midtownkid** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:30 pm

Glad to hear they got a crappy store instead of some Regional hotspot. I hate Town Center Plaza! I wish the spot had remained empty...some other stores may have terminated their leases and then TCP would have gone down hill!

GuyInLenexa · Post by **GuyInLenexa** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:45 pm

It is unusual for the May Company to locate in areas that are not in regional malls. I hope they do not close the Prairie Village store, that is my favorite.
I suppose something instead of a vacancy is good.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 1:31 pm

This is pretty funny and a bit surprising!!!!

I love that these South Jo Co snobs in the article are pissed that Jones is coming to Leawood. The fact is the demos is So Jo Co are so good it doesn't matter if it's close to the Metcalf store. And what's that idiot talking about when he says people came to KC to go to Jacobson's? I'd never even heard of Jacobson's....it's not like Saks or Barney's or something.

I will admit that Jones is a major misstep by Town Center and by May Co. First, if Town Center wants to remain viable they cannot be just another "mall" with mall stores. Right now the only reason to go there instead of Oak Park is because they have Pottery Barn. May Co. screwed up because people who live in So Jo Co want status symbols (Lexus, Cartier, Prada shoes)....they'd prefer to say they shop at Nordstrom or Neiman's over lowly Jones or Dillard's. May Co. is trying to restore it's Lord & Taylor brand to be a big time competitor to Nordstrom. If May has any brains, they'll put in a new prototype Lord & Taylor store in Leawood instead of Jones.

As for Town Center losing its grip...I think this is the first major downward step for this place...and it'll be all downhill from here on out. It has a trashy design and now doesn't have any real exclusivity. What the heck is there anyway? The Limited, Pottery Barn, Panera, and Victoria's Secret? Yips!

[quote]
Jones to fill Jacobson's site
Department store is coming to Town Center Plaza
By JOYCE SMITH The Kansas City Star

The Jones Store said Thursday that it will take over the former Jacobson's spot in Leawood's Town Center Plaza.

The Jones Store is operated by Famous-Barr, a division of the May Department Stores Co. in St. Louis. It plans to remodel the 120,000-square-foot, two-story space for a fall 2004 opening. Construction will begin in January.

â€œWe are eager to be part of such a unique lifestyle shopping environment, and we look forward to bringing an enjoyable, convenient Jones Store shopping experience to customers in the Leawood community,â€