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Nicole Miller at Philadelphia’s historic Bellevue is closing

Store owner Mary K. Dougherty said the historic mixed-use hotel with retail and restaurants will be undergoing construction.

The Nicole Miller store at the Bellevue July 29, 2019. A women's clothing and accessories staple for more than two decades, the store will close Wednesday as owner Mary K. Dougherty focuses on her Manayunk location.
The Nicole Miller store at the Bellevue July 29, 2019. A women's clothing and accessories staple for more than two decades, the store will close Wednesday as owner Mary K. Dougherty focuses on her Manayunk location.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer

Nicole Miller at the Bellevue, a women’s clothing and accessories staple for more than two decades, will close Wednesday as the owner focuses on her Manayunk location.

Store owner Mary K. Dougherty said the historic hotel with retail and restaurants will be undergoing construction, and the property owners could not guarantee where her store would be located in the redesign. With too many unknowns and her lease wrapping up, Dougherty decided to close.

“It wasn’t anything I was planning, quite honestly,” Dougherty said. “There are new business partners on the property, and they have a new vision.

“And I wish them the best," she said. "It’s a beautiful property. I’ve loved being there and hopefully, if they do what they say they’re going to do, it’s going to be amazing when it’s done.”

New York-based Nightingale Properties lists the Bellevue as part of its asset portfolio in Philadelphia. The firm could not be reached for comment Friday.

According to city property records, the building is owned by Bellevue Associates. Ronald Rubin, along with immediate family members and other affiliates, owns Bellevue Associates. An assistant, speaking on behalf of Rubin, said Rubin will be announcing “plans for the Bellevue, which will include new plans for the lobby,” but did not say when such an announcement would come.

When the Palm Restaurant at the Bellevue underwent renovations starting in March 2016 and lasting for more than a year, Dougherty said, the construction hindered her customers’ shopping experience. She didn’t think the store, opened in 1997, could weather through another bout of construction.

Dougherty said she will miss her Center City location after throwing events like the Bellevue Gets Engaged and the XIX Most Fashionable Women in Philadelphia, fundraising for local charities, and helping customers find dresses for bar mitzvahs, proms, graduations, weddings, and interviews. But she is excited for new possibilities with the Manayunk store.

She hopes focusing on the shop at 4249 Main St. will lead to more events, pop-up spaces for local designers, and an overall expansion on the interactive format in store. Dougherty declined to share revenue figures or how many employees she has between the two stores.

To her customers, whom she calls “fabulous fashionistas,” Dougherty wrote in the email: “You are fierce, loyal, kind, badass women — and you have enriched not only my life, but the lives of everyone, and inspired both me and my team in so many ways.”