Future New York Store Confirmed

A New York City real estate developer has confirmed that Apple will open a retail store at 21 W. 34th Street, a five-story building directly across the street from the Empire State Building, and near Macy’s and Madison Square Garden. Developer SL Green Realty Corp. purchased the 50′-wide x 96′-deep building in July 2005 for $20 million, and then closed the deal on the adjacent spaces of #25-27 and #29 last April. Now they’ve formally announced a retail development in the buildings, of which #21 totals about 20,000 square feet, with 4,400 s.f. on the ground floor. The existing Fifth Avenue Apple store is just over a mile to the north, and the SoHo store is about two miles south. The previous occupant was a Nine West shoe store and a discount clothing store. The buildings date from 1930, and it’s not clear if the developer will simply renovate the buildings, or demolish them and re-build. It’s also not clear what storefront architecture the local community board will approve before construction on the Apple store can begin. Check the Curbed Web site for some humorous speculation.