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More Retail Grows in the Seaport
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 21, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 21, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Aside from the concerts, there isn't much reason to go to the Southstreet Seaport unless you're 14 and need to hit Abercrombie & Fitch. The NY Sun reports that General Growth Properties, the developer who owns the rights to the area (the Seaport and Fulton Fish Market), is on a mission to turn that all around; but is their mission misguided? With a commercial and residential project that promises a floating pool and a community center...it also looks to bring in more stores! The big retail names are mostly big bucks shops: Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Barneys New York. Though Target is also rumored to be interested.
The past week has seen many outreach meetings on the behalf of General Growth, who have no plans certified by the city yet and are trying to recruit support from both elected officials and the community. Last week they presented their idea for a 30,000-square-foot community center housed on the second floor of the former Fulton Market building (currently where the “Bodies” exhibit is on display). The firm was met with disapproval and ended up taking the offer off the table and back to the drawing board; many thought the space was too small -- what with the West Side and their two new future community centers with more than double the square footage!
Overall the community seems wary, acknowledging the potential trade-off if they get what they want and the firm still builds a 360-foot tower. Could a proposal coming from a group that has a "Choose Your Mall" drop-down menu on their website really have anything good in store for the area? One certainty is that they're in for an uphill battle, and will need a lot of public funding to build their vision.
Photo via Epicharmus's Flickr.
Tagged
barneys
financial district
flickr
fulton fish market
Fulton Market
General Growth
Harrods
Harvey Nichols
new york
ny sun
real estate
south street seaport
target
the city
The NY
The NY Sun
west side
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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