Larry Thomas — Furniture Today,
HIGH POINT – Lifestyle Enterprise has acquired land in the downtown area here that will be the site of a $10 million office and showroom building for the fast-growing Asian furniture importer.


The 110,000-square-foot facility, to be known as Forbidden City II, should be completed in time for the fall 2016 market, the company said.

The site, which currently is a parking lot for High Point city employees, is along Green Drive next to the High Point post office. Lifestyle Enterprise is buying the property from the city for $1.665 million.

When completed, it will be Lifetsyle’s third facility in downtown High Point. The company has operated a showroom known as Forbidden City at 320 E. Commerce Ave. for several years. It opened a second showroom at 121 S. Centennial St. at this week’s market in order to showcase the complete Forbidden City line.

High Point city leaders hailed the latest move as a testament to the strength of the High Point market and praised Lifestyle owner William Hsieh for opting to expand his company here.

“He could have gone just about anywhere in the world … but he chose High Point,” said City Manager Strib Boynton. “It is a significant investment for the city and the market.”

The High Point City Council Monday night unanimously approved Lifestyle’s offer to purchase the property. Boynton said the land will have to be rezoned before construction can begin, and a hearing on that request is scheduled for Oct. 26.

Once construction begins, Boynton said the International Home Furnishings Center has agreed to allow city employees to use a parking lot it owns across the street from the site.