An upscale department store could be heading to the Village Pointe area, but detailed information is scarce. A building permit was filed late last month, calling for the “demolition of an existing restaurant building” and “Construction of a two-story luxury department store totaling 40,000 sq. ft.”
The address provided is 225 North 170th Street, which according to Douglas County public records, is tied to the freestanding retail buildings on the east side of Village Pointe Shopping Center, including the Best Buy, Nordstrom Rack and Bentley buildings plus two restaurant buildings that were previously Kona Grill and Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse. The Johnny’s building is expected to reopen soon as KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot. The Kona building is vacant and listed for lease.
Representatives for RED Development, which handles leasing work for Village Pointe, said they had no knowledge of any buildings being demolished nor of any construction plans for a department store. RED sold Village Pointe to Maryland-based Federal Realty this past December. Federal Realty has not returned Grow Omaha’s message.
The building permit includes a note that says, “Halls KC.” That could be a reference to a well-known Kansas City store started by Hallmark founder, Joyce C. Hall, in 1916.
Halls has just one location in Crown Center south of downtown Kansas City. Halls is known for an upscale shopping experience, carrying luxury brands like Gucci and Prada, while providing individualized styling and alteration services. Grow Omaha’s messages to Halls were not returned.
