Late Bloomer

Bloomingdale's is postponing opening its new store in New York's SoHo neighborhood until February 2004. According to a report in Women's Wear Daily, the 180-year-old building that will house it needs more extensive renovation than originally expected. The retailer had planned to open the store in November.

Michael Gould, Bloomingdale's chairman and ceo, told WWD “there are a lot more structural issues (with the building) than we might have thought. We don't want to take any shortcuts whatsoever. We are creating a store, with our team and resources, that does break the mold.”

The new Bloomingdale's will occupy 124,000 square feet of space over six floors at 504 Broadway, between Spring and Broome streets. The building, constructed in 1823, had most recently housed a Canal Jeans store. The new store will be the second in Manhattan for Bloomingdale's, a subsidiary of Federated Department Stores (Cincinnati).