Editorial: Louis Vuitton store delay a lesson in doing business in Palm Beach

Palm Beach is known as a town with many rules.

This is a spot-on characterization of an island that long has sought to set itself apart from other places, in part by maintaining standards for an aesthetic that generally is supported by residents.

Some of the strictest rules have to do with the timing of construction projects. The rule of thumb on Worth Avenue is to get those done during the summer months because once the season starts, restrictions kick in. Anyone seeking to open a business ought to be aware of these rules — or risk a potentially costly surprise.

Recently, luxury retailer Louis Vuitton came out on the wrong side of town officials when it sought to continue work on its planned Worth Avenue store throughout the season. At its Sept. 11 Development Review Committee meeting, the Town Council voted unanimously to deny the company's request to continue working from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through March 31 on its 222 Worth Ave. location.

Palm Beach allows construction on Worth Avenue only between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, from May 1 through Oct. 31. Any construction outside of those times and dates requires council approval.

The council's decision means that after Oct. 31, Louis Vuitton will have to table work at the store until next May, thus delaying opening.

When Louis Vuitton began work on its new store, it unexpectedly uncovered a significant amount of repair work that needed to be done, Rico Gatmaitan, a partner with Atmosphere Design & Architecture, the architecture firm on the project, told the council. A structural evaluation and time to get permits and scaffolding in place put construction about five-and-a-half months behind schedule, he said.

Of course, the project also was delayed by the fact that the company had to redo plans for the exterior after its initial proposal was rejected by the Architectural Commission.

While council members — who approved a special exception to its zoning regulations for the store — agreed that they are happy to see Louis Vuitton return to Worth Avenue , they agreed the requested construction schedule would negatively effect other businesses in the busy shopping district.

As council member Bridget Moran said: "Somebody's banging on the wall next door, I'm going to hear it, I'm going to be distracted. ... I'm probably going to just grab my purse and leave."

Louis Vuitton belongs in Palm Beach . After all, it first opened a store at 251 Worth Ave. more than 40 years ago. It moved in 2000 to the Esplanade. In April 2022, an Esplanade representative told Palm Beach Daily News that the store would close, but Louis Vuitton extended its lease. That location later closed, leaving the high-end retailer without a standalone location in Palm Beach.

We know officials, residents and visitors want to see the store return, but this process stands as a cautionary tale. Businesses that want to open on the Avenue should research the requirements and timelines based on what the end date of the project might be — and then add plenty of extra time to that schedule.

The Architectural Commission's demand for revisions disrupted the project's timeline. But the standards on Worth Avenue are rightly strict. The project's architectural team might have saved time had they incorporated more of the building's traditional architectural character into the first round of proposals put before that commission in January.

The changes brought back in March still fell short, and it was late April before the plans were approved .

Based on Louis Vuitton's request to continue construction through March, the timeline still would have been tight — given the unplanned-for repair work — even if approval had been given in January. But with a push they might have been able to open this season.

With the shifting dynamics in town, a post-season opening might not hurt Louis Vuitton given its popularity, but we hope others will pay attention to this case.

The lesson here for new businesses is to make sure they understand the town and its standards for construction or hire people who do. Doing so could very well ease a process in which delays are often a cost of doing business.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Editorial: Louis Vuitton store delay a lesson in doing business in Palm Beach