Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

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Really? I went to Filene's Basement today and it was packed like always.
 
This is just stupid.
A. Why wait this long to say something? The store is going to close in two weeks.
B. Would he of preferred an an empty store front? At least this, as sad as it is, gave the area some life.
 
Indeed -- I'm more concerned about the fate of Filene's Basement after the upstairs store closes. It will need lots of new signs and possibly new entrances between now and when redevelopment starts.
 
This article is a waste of time. Who cares? I don't even think that the Filene's Clearance Center is hurting the Basement's business. If anything it's probably helping it. And why is our Mayor For Life whining about this anyway? Does he have some sort of special connection to Filene's Basement? And how does he know that the Basement is hurting and people are getting confused? He was probably the only one. What big crybaby.
 
Totally agree -- an empty Filene's first floor for the past six months would have been far more damaging to the Basement (and to Downtown Crossing in general). I'm glad that Federated/Macy's has kept it open this long.
 
Tomorrow is the last day for Filene's first floor. But unless you have sentimental reasons to go, don't bother. The place is nearly empty of merchandise and looks really, really sad.

It will be more interesting to go back Tuesday and see what they've done to provide continued access to the Basement.
 
Flagship Filene's Basement to shut for makeover
News sends shudders through downtown

By Kimberly Blanton and Steve Bailey, Globe Staff | January 27, 2007

The original Filene's Basement store, where the concept of discounting was invented, will close for up to two years while its building is renovated, creating a void in the heart of Boston's downtown shopping district.

The Downtown Crossing store will temporarily close to accommodate the massive redevelopment of the building where Filene's Basement is housed, according to two people with direct knowledge of the plan. The store is expected to close later this year and reopen once construction is finished.

Filene's Basement officials could not be reached for comment yesterday. The basement has eight other locations in Massachusetts.

Filene's Basement is not only a popular shopping destination among locals but is also one of the city's biggest tourist attractions. Even a temporary closing of the century-old store is a blow to downtown retailers who rely on the basement's foot traffic to lure shoppers to a district that has been struggling.

"They are the attraction in the area right now," Mayor Thomas M. Menino said of Filene's Basement, where he shops for suits. "I'm agitated. It means a lot to Downtown Crossing."

Smaller merchants, such as the owners of the pushcarts that line the streets, are particularly concerned about the basement's temporary disappearance.

When tourists emerge from the Downtown Crossing subway stop, "one of the first questions is, 'Where's Filene's Basement?' " said Linda DeMarco, who owns the Boston Pretzel pushcart. "I'm shocked to hear" about the store's planned closing, she said.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority said yesterday in a statement that it is "very concerned" about nearby retailers and plans to send officials downtown to talk with merchants next week.

"The city is paying close attention to the small business in the area," said spokeswoman Lucy Warsh.

Filene's Basement had originally planned to relocate temporarily upstairs during the renovation of its store in the two basement floors, which are part of a $625 million project to redevelop the former Filene's department store building. The project is to include a 38-story tower, condominiums, a hotel, office space, and retail stores.

But Filene's Basement executives decided that the disruption from the construction and from changing locations twice would inconvenience and confuse shoppers, according to the two people with knowledge of the plan. They asked not to be named before Filene's Basement made an official announcement. The original basement is expected to remain closed for between one and two years.

Developer Gale International and Vornado Realty Trust of New York bought the historic Filene's department store building last year after Federated Department Stores bought Filene's and shuttered the chain. Filene's Basement is a separate company from Filene's department stores.

Mayor Menino has enthusiastically backed the ambitious project to revive Downtown Crossing, and Filene's Basement has said it plans to stay in the redeveloped site.

Edward A. Filene founded Filene's Basement in 1908 as a way to sell excess merchandise from his father's department store upstairs. The basement pioneered the concept of bargains when it devised a system of automatic markdowns, where merchandise is discounted on a set schedule that customers can track.

Even as Filene's Basement opened other stores that also sell designer clothes for bargain prices, only the original basement in Downtown Crossing kept the unique automatic markdown program, selling items like Prada shoes and Hugo Boss suits for a steal.

Over the years, the Filene's Basement chain also became known for its famous bridal sales, dubbed the "running of the brides" because women would line up before the stores opened and then rush in to snag a deeply discounted wedding gown.

With more than 30 stores nationwide today, Filene's Basement has said it hopes to expand to perhaps 100 stores in the coming years. The chain has adopted a more upscale strategy, selling higher-end and higher-priced merchandise and building fancier stores in trendy neighborhoods.

One example is Filene's Basement's Back Bay location, which opened in September. The store, on Boylston Street, features flat-screen TVs, comfy chairs to lounge on, and individual dressing rooms. That's a stark contrast to the no-frills atmosphere of the original Downtown Crossing store, where clothes are commonly sold in bins and women share a big dressing room where they jostle each other to try on clothes and seize a moment at the mirror to inspect their latest finds.

Closing the original store temporarily will have an impact on the Filene's Basement chain, which had more than $440 million in sales last year, said Lee Backus, an analyst with Buckingham Research Group.

"Will it take a hit? Yes," said Backus. "But it's a scar, not a gash."

Kimberly Blanton can be reached at blanton@globe.com, Steve Bailey is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at bailey@globe.com or at 617-929-2902.
 
I'd say the Mayor has good reason to be upset here, and I hope he can persuade the store to stay open in some form, even at a temporarily relocated site. With Filene's, Filene's Basement, and Barnes & Noble all shuttered, that block of Washington will become an abandoned ghost town. That can't be good for Macy's, either.

The Basement store now has big signs saying "We Are Not Closing!". Shame on them if they go back on that promise.
 
Although it might be better for FB to stay open through construction, IMO the new development is worth a small step back in the long run.
 
I liked the idea of them moving temporarily onto the ground floor, or across the street to Barnes & Noble. What happened to that? Two years is a long time to be without this store, and it will hurt Macy's and every local nearby merchant.
 
Ugh. Where am I going to buy my clothes now?! I've blacklisted TJMaxx and Marshalls because I haven't had an ATM card for the past two weeks due the data breach (thankfully though, no fraudulent use on my card).

Seriously though, nothing good can come of this.
 
So, are they actually building the tower which was first posted in this thread or what?
 
Ron Newman said:
I liked the idea of them moving temporarily onto the ground floor, or across the street to Barnes & Noble. What happened to that? Two years is a long time to be without this store, and it will hurt Macy's and every local nearby merchant.
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I also like the relocation idea, but when they opened the store in the Back Bay I started to wonder if they had other plans. And is there even a lease agreement in place for them to return?

Good new is that having them out of the building is good for construction and if they have leased space in the new building it's a big plus in the battle to secure financing.
 
As I recall from earlier news stories, Filene's Basement has a long-term lease that runs for many more years. Redevelopment can't happen at all without their cooperation.
 
Original Filene's Basement to begin move
Filene?s Basement, the Boston landmark that birthed the bargain, said it will close its original downtown store in the late summer or early fall for about two years to accommodate the major redevelopment of the building it occupies in Downtown Crossing.

The century-old merchant will begin moving part of its operation to the first floor in February from its current two basement floors in the building on Washington Street. The discounter expects to reopen in its renovated space in the spring 2009.

Filene's Basement, one of the city's top tourist attractions, said it is working with the city to determine the feasibility of a temporary location in downtown Boston during the construction phase. City officials and local merchants expressed concern in a Globe story on Saturday about the expected closure which would create a massive void in the heart of Boston's downtown shopping district.

?As an historic flagship store in Downtown Crossing, we fully understand the importance of our presence in Boston. After exhausting all possible scenarios we have been advised that it is not safe to stay in our current location while a complex redevelopment is underway,? Filene?s Basement president Mark Shulman said in a statement.

?We will be working with the city to explore all options, including a possible temporary location," he said. "We will continue to be open for our loyal customers at our eight other Massachusetts locations.?

Filene's Basement employees were notified this morning of the temporary closing. The company could not provide details on the job status of the 220 employees at that location.

Filene's Basement had originally planned to relocate temporarily upstairs during the renovation of its store, which are part of a $625 million project to redevelop the former Filene's department store building. The project calls for a 38-story tower, hotel, condominiums, and retail stores.

Edward A. Filene founded Filene's Basement in 1908 as a way to sell excess merchandise from his father's department store upstairs. The basement pioneered the concept of bargains when it devised a system of automatic markdowns, where merchandise is discounted on a set schedule that customers can track.

While other Filene's Basement stores today sell discounted merchandise, only the Downtown Crossing location maintained the automatic markdown system.
 
Basement may end markdown system

By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | January 30, 2007

Filene's Basement, the Boston landmark that birthed the bargain, said it will close its original downtown store this year, and it's unclear whether it will retain its famous "automatic markdown" system when it reopens after two years of renovation.

The merchant will begin next month moving upstairs to the first floor of its building, which previously housed Filene's flagship department store in Downtown Crossing. Filene's Basement will consolidate its two basement floors over the spring into one floor and expects to shutter by late summer or early fall. The discounter, which leases its space, expects to reopen in the renovated building in spring 2009.

The century-old basement pioneered the concept of bargains when it devised a system of automatic markdowns, where merchandise is discounted on a set schedule that customers can track. While other Filene's Basement stores have opened selling discounted merchandise from designer clothes to picture frames, only the Downtown Crossing location maintained the automatic markdown system.

But with the store's temporary closing, the automatic markdown policy will not be adopted at another location, and it's unclear whether it will return to the original Filene's Basement when it reopens, a company official said.

Filene's Basement, one of the city's top tourist attractions, also said yesterday it is working with the city to determine the feasibility of a temporary location in downtown Boston. Executives are working with real estate brokers to scout out potential sites.

"As a historic flagship store in Downtown Crossing, we fully understand the importance of our presence in Boston. After exhausting all possible scenarios we have been advised that it is not safe to stay in our current location while a complex redevelopment is underway," Filene's Basement president Mark Shulman said.

"We will be working with the city to explore all options, including a possible temporary location," he said. "We will continue to be open for our loyal customers at our eight other Massachusetts locations."

The Globe first reported Saturday that the basement was closing temporarily, and that city officials and merchants expressed concern about how the closure would create a void in the heart of Boston's downtown shopping district.

Filene's Basement employees were notified yesterday morning. The company could not provide details on the job status of the 220 union employees who work in Downtown Crossing.

Filene's Basement had originally planned to relocate temporarily upstairs during the renovation which is part of a $625 million project to redevelop the former Filene's department store building. The project calls for a 38-story tower, hotel, condominiums, and retail stores. Federated Department Stores Inc., the parent of Macy's, bought the Filene's department store chain, closed it, and sold its flagship building to developers.

Edward A. Filene founded Filene's Basement in 1908 as a way to sell excess merchandise from his father's department store upstairs. Today Filene's Basement operates as a separate company.

Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.
Click to expand...
Link

So it will be a completly different look, feel and expericence even when it returns to the original location. It will be Filene's Basement in name only. Sad. :(
 
Today's Globe has a half-page ad from Filene's Basement about the upcoming closing. It's on page A9.
 
On the news I thought I heard them say the tower would be 38 stories.
 
The rendering backs up that figure. And it looks to be right around 500 ft.

1159527711_5571.jpg
 
is filenes basement moving so they can build that? ^, or are they just moving for some other structural changes?
 
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