After two false starts, Apple said Wednesday it will finally open its third Manhattan retail store by year's end, this time on the lower west side in the city's Meatpacking District.
For Apple, the west side store will mark the third out of a projected five store Manhattan project. Over the last two years, the company began and then cancelled store initiatives in the Flatiron District and on West 34th Street. However, it does operate two very successful stores in the SoHo district of the city, and on Fifth Avenue near Central Park.
Based on checks, a probable location of the new store is 401 W. 14th Street — a three-story, 52,000 square-foot corner property that holds a prominent location at a three-street intersection. The property is managed by R.K. Futterman & Associates, the same company that brokered the deal for the Apple Store Fifth Avenue.
The building at 401 W. 14th Street has undergone an extensive $10 million renovation after its original meatpacking tenant was reportedly forced out in early 2006 by an investment company that wanted to upscale the property. At least one restaurant has occupied the ground floor space since then, but moved out earlier this year because it wasn't making money.
News accounts have said that Futterman was looking for a single tenant to occupy the building at a cost of $5 million to $6 million a year. Other accounts said that ground-floor tenants were paying $300 per square-foot annually for the 12,000 square-foot space.Â
The Meatpacking District was recently added to New York's register of historic places, limiting the architectural changes that can be made to the exterior of buildings. It's located about a mile from the Apple's SoHo store — where Apple also dealt with architectural limitations — and adjacent to both the Greenwich Village and the West Village.
Apple reportedly has at least one more store on the drawing board for Manhattan: somewhere on the Upper West Side, most likely in area of 84th Street and Broadway.
About the author: Gary Allen is the founder of ifo Apple Store, a publication providing close watch of Apple's retail business. When Gary isn't busy dishing dirt on the Mac maker's latest retail stores, he finds himself hanging out at one. For more of his work, check out ifo Apple Store and his in-depth coverage of Wednesday's retail announcements.
72 Comments
And the beat goes on ...
And the beat goes on ...
Guys/Gals,
If anyone is in the area of the Meatpacking district today and can snap a photo of the proposed location listed in the article, it would be greatly appreciated. You can mail me at: kasper (at) appleinsider.com.
Best,
K
Look forward to seeing a picture. Hey Kasper, so you are like a 'Linden' then ... Honored to meet you sir
according to tuaw, its likely this building
add in some photoshop, and you have:
according to tuaw, its likely this building
add in some photoshop, and you have:
And at $300.00 per square foot ?
Maybe some less expensive sites, in areas where Mac's can't be purchased / seen with great ease, would make more sense!
I mean, hell a store in Portland, Maine (Maine has some of the highest number of Mac's per person in the country) - would cost maybe $45.00 per square foot ? maybe Mac's could come down in price if they start doing business like any other business person / company, and looking at the bottom line, instead of the glory of the location.
Yes New York city has more people then the whole state on Maine, but the point is - let's do this for less, and save or pass on the savings.
Heck you know and I know, there ARE places all across America where Apple could set up shop, and do very well, for a whole hell of a lot less money!
And beside that, not everyone lives in, or visit's NY, or many of the other locations they are setting up shop.
Hell if they insist on being in these high rent districts, they should surely see the benefits of locating in some others areas for much less money.
Hell how about Conway, NH - Settlers Green Mall is a zoo many times throughout the year as folks are there shopping, skiing, vacationing ? SPENDING money. Conway is just 30 minutes from Lake Winnipesaukee - which has hundreds of VERY rich folks (many of the homes here START at 2 MILLION dollars: (and some cost $35 MILLION to build
- http://www.ideatoreality.com/residen...tial-appe4.htm
- http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...eCamp18AsW.jpg
- http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ead.php?t=2355
There are several area's like this, that work VERY well, for ALL the other MAJOR retailers.
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