Saks Global is shutting down the downtown Dallas Neiman Marcus store, despite local efforts to keep the iconic location open.
“Our decision to close the Neiman Marcus Downtown Dallas store is final, and we are moving forward as such,” the company said in a statement.
The city of Dallas took steps to resolve a supposed property dispute by securing the deed from Slaughter Partners, a landlord that controlled a portion of the store’s ground, the Dallas Morning News reported. Saks, which is owned by the Hudson Bay Company, previously said failed ground lease negotiations prevented the store from staying open.
The Dallas Consortium, a coalition of local city and business leaders, has been pushing for a meeting with Saks Global to discuss alternatives. But Saks now alleges that Dallas is giving it the cold shoulder.
“While we had been willing to hear the Consortium’s perspective, a meeting was not confirmed,” the company said. “We have made several attempts to be connected directly to the city manager, as an official representative of the City of Dallas, and we were denied.”
City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said that Saks Global Properties and Investments CEO Ian Putnam agreed to meet Wednesday. Tolbert remains committed to face-to-face discussions and wants to travel to New York if necessary.
Saks Global announced in February that it would close the century-old downtown store by the end of this month, a move that has sparked widespread disappointment in Dallas, as the store is deeply entwined with the city’s history and image.
Meanwhile, Saks Global plans to invest $100 million in NorthPark Center.
—Rachel Stone
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