by , 3:30 PM EDT, May 8th, 2001

The new Apple store in McLean, VA, set to open May 19, is encased in a brushed metal construction wall some ten feet high, as workers continue to finish out walls, store shelving and the Ethernet network inside. Although we could not see directly inside the store, it was apparent that it was very bright in light and white color, from being able to see through cracks in the construction wall and on its outer sides.

The construction wall covering the store front has no signage on it identifying the store; just a single door at its center, tightly locked. Although there was mall security often checking the front door to make sure it was locked, at no time was there a security guard on duty guarding the door. At the rear entrance, two private security guards checked all workers entering and exiting. Except for rear security, there was little other security present. Mall security paid little attention to passers by in the rear entrance, as long as you were discrete.

Retailers on either side of the new Apple retail store confirmed Apple was moving in and said construction had been going on for a little over a week. "There's been some pretty loud banging and construction going on over there in the past few days," one unidentified employee of the women's retail store Femme de Carriere said.

Contrary to other published reports, the Apple Retail Store is located between Ann Taylor to the east and Femme de Carriere to its west. L.L. Bean is next to Femme de Carriere. The store is only on the upper level of the mall.

Pacing off the store by foot, it appears to be some 50 feet wide. As for depth, it's tough to estimate without actually seeing the space, but it appears to be around 10,000 square feet of actual retail space for customers, not including storage and employees offices. That estimate is based on noticing that the rear of the store includes a large receiving area and small hallway leading to a right door entrance. This door goes into the rear of the store. The rear of the store is where private security is checking all who enter.

From the construction workers on hand with whom we talked, much of the interior is still being finished out. Two workers reported finishing out a bathroom and some floor tiling in the center of the store, while other workers reported just completing the Ethernet network for all store Macs. A glance at the trash dumpster confirmed Asante Ethernet routers had been used for the network, as empty boxes were strewn throughout the trash bin. It also appears some Macs have been delivered to the store, but large quantities, including stock, have yet to arrive.

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