Neiman Marcus' parent company says its store in Downtown Dallas will still close at the end of March despite a land donation organized by Downtown Dallas Inc and the city. Neiman Marcus was founded in Dallas, and the flagship store has been located at Main and Ervay since 1914.
"Neiman Marcus was built with Texas money and Texas grit," says Councilman Paul Ridley. "We all know Texans are fighters. We won our sovereignty. We became part of the great Republic of Texas. Texans are faithful. We're faithful to a fault."
Neiman Marcus merged with Saks last year. Saks says the company had spent ten years negotiating with landowners at Main and Ervay, but the landlord gave the company notice it would have to leave by the end of March.
After city leaders and business advocates gathered outside the store Tuesday, Downtown Dallas Inc. said "conversations late into the evening and early morning" among the landowners and City of Dallas ended with the Slaughter family agreeing to donate the land to the city. Dallas would then commit the patch to Neiman Marcus' flagship store.
"We wish to thank the Slaughter Family and Mr. Rogers, a family of tremendous integrity who are cut from the same fabric as their great-grandfather, C.C. Slaughter. They care about the bigger picture, the common good for all," Downtown Dallas Inc wrote in a statement.
Despite the land donation, Wednesday afternoon, Saks said the store would still close.
"Given our role in the Dallas community, we are working to schedule a meeting with the Dallas Consortium, however, at this time, our plans to close the Downtown Dallas Neiman Marcus remain in place," Saks Global wrote in a statement.
The company did not elaborate or say why it still plans to close the store. Saks Global had previously said the Neiman Marcus at NorthPark Center would stay open, adding it would spend $100 million on renovations there.
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