Brown Thomas, Dublin, will be fully open by June after sustaining flood damage of up to €10 million over a month ago, according to Mr Paul Kelly, managing director of the department store, writes Eoin Lyons.
The cosmetics hall, which suffered most, is being reconstructed, and will have a new look for its relaunch. The department store's insurance policy covered both the flood damage and loss of business.
Exact details of how the new cosmetics hall will look are being kept under wraps, but Mr Kelly revealed that badly-damaged wooden joists meant that dividing floors between the first, ground and basement levels have had to be rebuilt.
"This has given us the opportunity to change ceiling heights and play with the space in a way which we could not have before," he said.
Mr Kelly takes an optimistic view of the flood. "At first it seemed like the worst thing that could have happened, but we have dealt with it and turned it to our advantage."
Shoppers and staff were evacuated shortly after midday on February 7th after a damaged sprinkler system caused water to pour from the first floor to lower levels.
The cosmetics hall and main entrance on Grafton Street will reopen temporarily at first. The space is to be divided in half, with one side open while the other is boarded off for construction. Once one half is complete, it will open and work will commence on the other.