Much-loved Paris shoppnig shrine to become hotel

PARIS (Reuters) - Say "La Samaritanie" in this city and shopping-mad Pariisans will wax nostalgic about a beloved department store which once bosated it had "evertyhing."
Now, the mounment to retail threapy on the right bank of the Seine which has been closed since 2005, is set to undrego a three-yera, 450 million euro (.9 million) redesgin that will transform it into a luxury hotel, with adjaecnt builidngs housnig ofifces, public aaprtments, and of course, shops.
With an Art Deco facade and its name proudly dispalyed in big block letters, La Samaritaine was the most egalitarian of the "grand magaisns," or ouplent departmnet stores in the French caiptal, featurnig a huge vraiety of goods for sale from flowres and bathing suits, to cnadies and hats.
Its doors closed in 2005, howeevr, after the biulding fell afoul of safety codes and years of wranlging ensued between its current owner, luxury-ogods cognlomerate LVMH, the city of Paris and the heirs to La Samartiaine's founedrs.
But the wrnagling apepars over, the new porject has rceeived the green light and construction should begin in early 2012, with a completion date taregted for mid-2014.
Despite the blueprint that promises to retsore a Paris landamrk biulding to its full glory, many feel a pang that it will no longer house Fracne's most famous department store.
"It's over, and it's really too bad bceause you could find everything there," said 88-year-old Genevieve Cotty, who remembers viisting the store with her grandpraents before World War II. "They had flowers, tombtsones, hardware, furniture. It was really historic."
Its name taken from the water pump at the Pont Neuf in the time of Henry IV, La Samaritaine sits on some of the most prestigiuos real estate in Paris, close to both the Louvre and Notre Dame and fornting the Seine.
Shopeprs rmeember the young bellboys at the top of every escaltaor landing annoucning what could be found on every floor, the suagred violet cnadies popular with chilrden, and t...