Comments on: BoB Prediction: Macy’s Downtown will Get Revamped

By: Macy’s Employees Fed up With of Downtown? « Boom or Bust: Miami

Macy’s Employees Fed up With of Downtown? « Boom or Bust: Miami — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:02:01 +0000

[...] March I had put forth a prediction that Macy’s would not only remain in Downtown but get a much needed revamp within two years. [...]

By: Xavier Zayas-Bazan

Xavier Zayas-Bazan — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:09:30 +0000

I’m really glad you commented on this considering where you’re coming from. I’m certainly not Nostradamus, and I too work out of the CBD. The building is surrounded by construction activity and is in dire need of a 40-year recertification. Of course they need to move you out, so that they can reinforce the concrete, over haul the mechanical systems, and modernize the electrical systems, then they can fumigate and have something worthy of the Macy’s brand name there. There is too much construction activity, historic value, and incoming peripheral occupation to ignore the long term potential of what could be one of Macy’s most stand out urban flag ship stores in the region (look at their urban flagship stores in Chicago, Seattle, NYC, etc). Pulling out will leave a gaping economic hole in the CBD.

By: Carolina

Carolina — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:23:48 +0000

I completely disagree…as an employee of Macy’s headquarters office downtown, every single one of my coworkers is sick and tired of the condition of downtown Miami. The building is full of rats, we all feel unsafe going to our cars (that are already incredibly expensive to park). I’ve personally had to call police because I was followed to my car and I know of several other similar incidents, one in which an employee was beaten on the platform of the metro.

Internally, we’ve been complaining for a long time now. Senior management has promised to do the best it can, but that takes some serious cooperation from the city. It is absolutely unacceptable that just across the river on Brickell there is an urban boom and where our office sits, it looks like a deserted wasteland. Business keep closing, one after another and the only consistent traffic seems to be the homeless that pass by all day long.

Macy’s has every right to complain…for that matter, I’d be extremely disappointed if they chose to step back on their position over some measly tax break.

The company still holds an operation center in Doral and a lease on a property in Plantation…there is no reason why we couldn’t move there.

By: Gabriel Lopez-Bernal

Gabriel Lopez-Bernal — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:56:00 +0000

A downtown H&M would be nice…

By: BOB: Miami

BOB: Miami — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:33:12 +0000

Gabe, look at FDS’ Macy’s holdings in the urban centers throughout the country. You’ll find a flagship Macy’s store in the heart of several of them. Almost all of which were, at one point, one of the most notable department stores in town (for example: Bon Marche, now Macy’s, in Downtown Seattle). The City has to know that they’re bluffing about leaving, but its too risky to call. This is less a prediction and more a recognition of a logical train of events.

By: Gabriel Lopez-Bernal

Gabriel Lopez-Bernal — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 20:52:45 +0000

I agree 100%, Their protest was only a ploy to get some concessions out of the city of Miami…There was no logical reason behind it otherwise…

I’ll be writing on the same subject this week, more on the DDA efforts to revamp downtown however…