Baton Rouge-based fine jeweler confirms to ABiz that it is shuttering its mall store in favor of the Whole Foods development.
After almost three decades in the Acadiana Mall, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry is relocating to Ambassador Crossing, the new retail development under construction at Settlers Trace Boulevard and Ambassador Caffery Parkway. Lee Michaels will join a tenant mix that includes Which Wich, Massage Envy and Superior Nails in the Whole Foods-anchored center.
Lee Michael Berg, the jewelry store chain's owner and CEO, says in a prepared statement that the new store will open in January 2016 concurrent with the closure of the Acadiana Mall location. Whole Foods is scheduled to open late next year.
Rendering by John Capdeveille; design by DNAworkshop/Dyke Nelson Architecture
Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry is bringing its luxury brands to Ambassador Crossing in January 2016.
The free-standing pad location is on Ambassador Caffery, across from Academy and LongHorn Steakhouse. It will be 6,000 square feet, offering luxe brands like Rolex, David Yurman, John Hardy and Mikimoto. The store will be run by Kim Henry, who has worked for Lee Michaels for two decades, managing the Acadiana Mall location since 1999.
"We have enjoyed our location and relationship with Acadiana Mall for the past 28 years, but moving to this location just feels like the right place at the right time," says Berg. "We are excited to have the opportunity to build another beautiful Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry store."
Founded in 1978, Lee Michaels offers fine gems, timepieces and giftware by top designers and craftspeople. One of the largest independent fine jewelers in the nation, the company operates eight stores in three states.
Ambassador Crossing consists of 108,00 square feet of retail space on 12 acres of land with Whole Foods occupying 36,200 of those square feet. The property was acquired from the Saloom family.
"We are excited to have Lee Michaels as part of our project," Michael Ainbinder, the Houston-based developer for Ambassador Crossing, says in the prepared release. "Ambassador Crossing will feature best in class' retailers such as Whole Foods Market and J. Crew, and Lee Michaels will only enhance our tenant mix."
ABiz readers might recall that Ainbinder jumped the gun in announcing several new tenants on Oct. 10, claiming to have seven commitments (including Lee Michaels, which had not yet signed a lease) when he only had four.
ABiz has been unable to independently confirm that J. Crew is locating in the center. On Nov. 13 a company rep told one of our reporters that she had no information to share about a Lafayette store.
The J. Crew rep did not immediately respond to an email sent late this afternoon asking for an update.