New store coming to King’s Court

One of the more recognizable buildings on Pitt’s campus is having plastic surgery to attract… One of the more recognizable buildings on Pitt’s campus is having plastic surgery to attract two new businesses to the sea of college students who have no cars and their parents’ money.

And no, the Cathedral is not getting a Macy’s.

The Oakland Real Estate Co. is remodeling the King’s Court building at 3805 Forbes Ave. for use by new businesses that could diversify shopping choices in Oakland, adding two new stores to Pitt’s campus.

Brain Gallagher, a representative of the building’s owner, Oakland Real Estate Co., said the renovations came after three years of at least partial vacancy to the prominent Forbes Avenue castle that has housed a movie theater and the Beehive Cafe.

Gallagher said clothing retailer American Apparel is a prospective tenant, but he added that nothing was certain as there were many interested parties. He declined to comment on which other vendors had expressed interest in the property.

American Apparel’s Web site listed King’s Court as the location for a store that would open this summer, but Gallagher said it might be too early for them to advertise that they will open there.

“It’s their call to make, but I think they’re jumping the gun a little bit,” Gallagher said.

Miguel McKelvey, the store project manager for American Apparel, said the company does have a lease on the half of the building that formerly housed Carol Wayne Chocolates, and they planned to open in mid-July after extensive repairs to the old — though not technically medieval — building.

Gallagher said they planned to give the building a new roof and new windows. He added that he didn’t think they wouldn’t finish renovations until the end of summer, despite American Apparel’s reported summer opening.

American Apparel, previously a wholesale-only company, expanded three years ago into a chain of retail stores known for their cotton T-shirts and strong stance on employee rights.

Alexandra Spunt, a senior content adviser at the Los Angeles-based company, said that most stores in the chain have been successful, including the nearby Shadyside location.

Though priced similarly to other popular retailers, American Apparel offers a year-round line of clothing with frequent additions, unlike the many retailers that change their lines seasonally, Spunt said.

She said shopping at American Apparel was comparable to grocery shopping at a convenience store, where people can run in to pick up basic clothing needs without planning a big shopping trip.

American Apparel does all of their manufacturing in downtown Los Angeles, which allows them to experiment with clothing styles and make rapid changes to their clothing line, which is not an option for companies who outsource their labor, Spunt said.

“If The Gap produces a line that bombs, then they’re kind of screwed,” she said. “If we produce a new style that doesn’t work, we can just stop production.”

Spunt said employees at the clothing factory make a living wage at an average of $13 an hour. They also receive benefits that go beyond the normal medical and dental, extending to things such as free massages at work.

“We think it’s normal that you have employees and you pay them and give them benefits,” Spunt said.