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New Apple flagship in Washington will open soon; Melbourne problems persist

While Apple continues to face numerous adversities to build its store in Federation Square in Melbourne (Australia), another company facility is about to open in the American capital (Washington, DC). In addition, Apple continues to renovate stores around the world, mainly in the United States, as we will see below.

Washington, DC

Apple Carnegie Library

As we announced, Apple will usher in a new flagship in the historic Carnegie Library, which housed the library of the American capital for decades. The work of the Cupertino giant there began in 2017 and should end soon, as the Washington Business Journal.

According to the article, the company responsible for the building, Events DC, said that the renovations of the 1,765m² store are scheduled to close by next month and that the store opening may take place until the end of spring in the northern hemisphere. (June).

Apple sees the flagship as a cultural and educational space, in addition to serving as the stage for Apple’s retail operations. Like other company stores, the new Washington location is expected to have indoor afforestation and Video Wall.

The store at Carnegie Library will join Apple Georgetown as the company’s only retail centers in the American capital. The Cupertino giant is believed to pay Events DC between $ 1 and $ 2 million to cover possible losses related to the renovation of the old library.

Melbourne

Federation Square in Melbourne

Last January, we announced that a new attempt was made to demolish the Yarra Building in Melbourne (Australia) for the construction of a new Apple Store in the city, which was again denied.

For those unfamiliar with the issue, Apple has been planning to build a new store in Federation Square for some years, but has faced resistance from the population and local politicians who consider the site a historic and cultural spot.

As we said, the Melbourne city council recently opposed the proposed changes to the Apple Store construction project, stating that the building would “irreparably disrupt the cultural structure of the space”.

In addition to a petition with more than 100,000 signatures that rejected the construction, the city council there received 1,100 applications that go against the installation before a meeting held last week; only one application approved the demolition of the Yarra Building and Apple’s plans.

With this further negative decision, the future of Federation Square will be in the hands of the state government of Victoria, which will ultimately decide whether the demolition permit will be approved or not. A timetable for the decision has not been established, but an announcement may be released in weeks or even months.

Many critics / Melbourne residents say they supported plans to build an Apple Store in Federation Square if the Cupertino giant decided to move to the Yarra Building instead of demolishing it; however, Apple seems to be adamant about changing his plans. We’ll see…

Portland

Apple Pioneer Place

While some plans go out of business and others do not, Apple continues to renovate several locations around the world (including one store in Australia and one in Barcelona). This time, the company will provisionally close the Apple Pioneer Place, in Portland (Oregon), from the next 24th to remodel the place according to the company’s new retail style.

Currently, all three Apple stores in Oregon carry classic design without the latest technology and architecture that provide the complete Apple Store experience. The store at Pioneer Place, opened in 2005, is expected to gain a Video Wall and other elements of the new design of the company’s stores.

During the renovation, which may take several months, customers will be able to visit Apple Bridgeport Village or Apple Washington Square.

via AppleInsider; 9to5Mac: 1, 2