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Keith McCord reporting The President of Nordstrom says it's down to the 11th hour on a decision to move to The Gateway.
The Salt Lake City Council is still looking at whether to grant the company's request to move to the Gateway from the Crossroads Plaza.
Mr. Nordstrom came to Salt Lake today to meet with store managers and employees, not about the proposed move specifically, but it certainly came up.
Blake Nordstrom says it's time to stop talking and make *the* decision. He says his people have met many times with all the parties in Salt Lake, and have looked at all the options.
The key, is whether the city will change the restrictions at Gateway, to allow a store larger than 45,000 square feet. Nordstrom wants to build a store nearly three times larger.
Nordstrom's lease at Crossroads expires in August of 2005; to have a new store open and operating by then, Blake Nordstrom says design and construction needs to begin A-S-A-P.
Blake Nordstrom, President, Nordstrom Inc.:"WE NEED AN ANSWER.. AND WE'VE YET TO GET A CONCRETE ANSWER. SO IF THE ANSWER IS "NO", AND WE DON'T WANT THAT, BUT WE'LL ABIDE BY THAT, AND WE HAVE TO MOVE ON. BUT TIME IS NOT ON OUR SIDE NOW."
The city councils' Redevelopement Agency was going to hold a public hearing tomorrow night about the Nordstrom move, but it has been postponed. The R-D-A wants to study the economic impacts of the move. So, yet another delay.
