Weitz Selected to Build Interiors for Barneys NY
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Andrea Libey, Communications Program Manager
Weitz Selected to Build Interiors for
Barneys New York in Scottsdale
PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 24, 2008)…Mike Bontrager, president of the Southwest Business Unit of The Weitz Company, is pleased to announce that they have been selected to construct the new interiors for Arizona’s first Barneys New York department store at Scottsdale Fashion Square, a super-regional, high-end retail shopping center in the heart of Scottsdale.
Before Weitz begins the interior work, the east side parking garage and former Robinson-May Department Store structure will have to be brought down and a new core and shell built in its place. The entire project compliments the current Scottsdale Fashion Square interior renovation project and creates a seamless and elegant setting within the famous shopping center.
Weitz will begin construction of the interiors within the month and half overlap in which contractor is finishing up the shell. It will require true collaboration to ensure a seamless transition and safety of all the mall’s patrons. The entire project scope for Weitz will include the construction of 65,000 square feet of new interiors for the two-level flagship store, and a sophisticated 5,000 square foot restaurant named Fred’s at Barneys New York.
The store will have a very open, contemporary design and nearly everything will be customized especially for Barneys New York. The store design will be complemented with exotic stones, woods and carpet, as well as a monumental staircase made of structural glass and steel panels. Weitz will also install a large floating glass cube above the entrance that will welcome guests and bring natural sunlight into the store.
The lighting inside is as spectacular as the outside. The system will be fully adjustable with color correcting options for all the displays and products. Near the end of the project, Weitz will be working with Barneys New York to ensure every product looks radiant by adjusting the lighting right before the store opening. Finally a special Bose sound system will be installed to create room filling music, but seemingly from nowhere that the visible eye can notice.
Along the exterior, Weitz will be installing the windows for the stunning metal panel pop out for the restaurant and bar, and the three display windows with low iron crystal glass so that shoppers can view the famous Barneys New York window dressings. Fred’s at Barneys New York will also have its own porte cochere, separate from the main entrance.
“We have found Barneys New York to be a first class operation, similar to their department stores. We are excited to bring this landmark store to a reality” says Bontrager.
All of Barneys New York’s interior work will be completed by fall 2009 just in time for the holiday season. The project team includes: Barneys New York (owner), Gensler (project architect) and The Weitz Company (general contractor).
About The Weitz Company
Founded in Des Moines, Iowa in 1855, The Weitz Company is the second oldest general building contractor in the United States. By the 1980s, the company expanded its horizons by appealing to the national market, and today Weitz is the 21st largest domestic general building firm and the 16th largest construction manager at risk firm in the United States.
The Southwest Business Unit, located in Phoenix, is pleased to be celebrating 30 years of exceptional service in Arizona. The Tucson branch, which opened in 2008, and Weitz Lite, a streamline division dedicated to smaller scale general contracting are both integral parts of the Business Unit’s success.