Restoration Hardware CEO discusses SWFL incredible plans

Restoration Hardware CEO and Chairman Gary G. Friedman has announced his plans for his Waterside Shops in Naples location, which marks the global chain’s Southwest Florida debut.

“We got the former Nordstrom’s pad that sits overlooking this beautiful pond and it (is) incredible,” said Friedman, who mentioned it for the first time during an earnings meeting for his RH brand. “What we’re planning to do in Naples is unbelievable. It is a completely new three-dimensional RH experience known as the RH compound. And it’s a multi-building, integrated experience with gardens, courtyards, and connected buildings; it’s unlike anything anyone has ever seen.”

Here’s what you should know.

What do Restoration Hardware’s Naples plans signify for the company?
He said the 1.3 acres where the 40,000-square-foot Nordstrom was until 2020 will set the tone for his global luxury furniture and dining business, which has its nearest facility in Tampa Bay and across Alligator Alley on the East Coast. Previously, the downtown Naples area was under consideration.

“It’s an evolution of many approaches to have more cards to play with. If you were to take a larger site, how would you use it? What would it be?” Friedman stated. “It might be massively more efficient to build then some of the galleries we’re building today.”

What other major changes are in the plans for Waterside Shops in Naples?
Friedman, who stated that further details will be provided in a future announcement, has not set a date, but its debut would be part of big renovations taking place at the posh plaza where US 41 and Pine Ridge Road intersect.

Waterside is hiring a previous suitor, Sashe Construction, which built the Hermes shop, to renovate the old Barnes & Noble for use by the married Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn — known in public records as the WSPB Shell. Sashe has previously worked on projects with retailers, including a long-running national program with Williams-Sonoma, where she handled general contracting and program management.

What is happening at Barnes & Noble in Collier County, Florida?
A new 35,000-square-foot Barnes & Noble is set to open in January in the former Big Lots on the Naples Park Shore at U.S. 41 and Neapolitan Way, according to a recent article by Phil Fernandez of Naples Daily News.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News