Rumblings & Bumblings Responses: Whole Foods for UES?

Thursday, January 12, 2006, by Joshua

[A summary of responses from the questions we posed on Tuesday. More questions and answers to tips@curbed.com. Thanks for playing.]

1) South Slope: "Regarding the windsor terrace property (right), the building permit posted on the fence says it will be a residential apartment building. that is a very narrow lot in the middle of the block though and they obviously have a drainage problem (which likely has prevented construction beginning). It looks as if there has been no activity on the site in over 5 months. i looked at a house for sale who's backyard backed up to this mess in late spring. the fact that the backyard was being held up by construction planking and the idea of an apartment building being constructed right up to my property line turned me off the to property.

"When i looked at the block diagram on property shark, the block is an odd shape, not rectangular. and i suspect the block was laid out as such because the land in question is over a water source. so 200 years ago some wise people made a decision to not build over this site. but today some not-wise developer has decided to go ahead and try to build over this swamp."

2) Lower East Side: As for the pending redevelopment on Orchard, a reader writes, "That’s my building, 76-81 Orchard. The Spanish tapas place is a check (going head to head with Barrio Chino, no?). The others have been vacant for months, some of them years. They did clean the façade of our building this fall, so maybe that’s sparked interest." Meanwhile, the "exclusive broker" for the properties checks in in the comments noting the availability of "12 stores located along 75-81 Orchard Street, and 84-86 Allen Street. All stores will have new glass enclosures and HVAC systems."

3) Upper East Side: Big doings on the corners of 86th and 3rd Ave and 86 and Lex. First, the retail scuttlebutt: "My broker friend is telling EVERYBODY that a Whole Foods is going in at 86th & 3rd. Not that he would know, necessarily. But he is telling everybody as if it is a settled fact." Nothing in development on the Whole Foods web presence, but another commenter says it's a done deal. And you know what they say: two anonymous comments = fact!

On the residential front, "Extell Development plans to build 120,000 square feet of retail space at 86th and Lexington, along with 250,000 square feet of residential," The Real Deal reported in December. Speculation on unit pricing in the comments: "It's got to be close to the 2,000 a sq. ft. price level. 170 East End Ave, that luxury new development between 87th & 88th on East End Ave is being built now and is initially priced around $1,650 a sq. ft."
· Rumblings & Bumblings: Lakefront Development [Curbed]

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Comments (15 extant)

86th and Third ? ? ? ? Don't tell me that Papaya King is getting the boot. Oh, no ! ! Maybe is is the big bank across the street ? ? ? ?

By UESbabe at January 12, 2006 3:38 PM

Come to think of it there is a large unoccupied retail area on E. 86th St. BETWEEN Third and Lex. - south side of street.

By UESbabe at January 12, 2006 3:41 PM

isn't there an old diner that's been empty on the SE corner of 86th and Lex for a while? That could be the space...

By jessica at January 12, 2006 3:45 PM

The Lexington Avenue development is the southeast corner of 86th, going through the block to 85th Street. H&M is also negotiating on the retail, along with Whole Foods and other "big-box" users.

The Third Avenue development is the southeast corner of 86th - no word on retailers there.

By Boris at January 12, 2006 4:12 PM

Whole Foods passed on the space on the northwest corner of 86 and Lex before Best Buy took it (used to be Virgin). The southeast corner is a group of old buildings that have not yet been emptied -- although everyone knows they will be, and it has affected rents on Lex to the south.

The northwest corner is a Petco that's too small for Whole Foods, I would think.

By john at January 12, 2006 6:46 PM

uh oh -- scratch my second two sentences -- i read that too quickly

By john at January 12, 2006 6:48 PM

As someone who lives on the UES (3rd in the low 90's) and has been going to the freekin' westside (first to chelsea, then to columbus circle) for groceries for the last couple of years, this is a dream come true.

What has kept them off of the UES for so long? Lack of larges spaces I presume...

WHOOO HOOO!!!

By UESer at January 13, 2006 9:55 AM

FYI, the store before Best Buy was HMV, not Virgin. Originally was Gimbel's.

I was up on 86th Street this afternoon. All the stores on the SE corner of 86th and Third, plus most of the stores on the SE corner of 86th and Lex = EMPTY.

Most of the storefronts on 86th between Third and Lex, southside of street + EMPTY.

By randyrabe at January 13, 2006 4:51 PM

actually, if i'm remembering correctly, whole foods was originally slated for the best buy space, but the tenants of that building fought it because they didn't want the traffic to the building that the whole foods would bring. at the time, i lived in the neighborhood and was really p.o.'d...

i'm still holding out hope, though, for the rumored trader joe's that's supposed to go in at union square. anyone hear anything about that?

By anon at January 15, 2006 4:30 PM

10.

The retail space on 86th between Lexington and Park - at the rear of 111 East 85th - has been empty for a long time. I have heard that the co-op board can't agree on a tenant, and some desirable retailers don't like that the storefront is down a few steps. What is the whole story?

By anonymous at January 18, 2006 4:41 PM

11.

The buildings that Extell is demolishing are in need of renovation, but they're beautiful, old structures with a lot of character. This project is a travesty, especially since there's a lot of junk in the area that moreso deserved a rendezvous with a wrecking ball including (but not limited to) the horrible aluminum Petco on the north side of 86th and the Papaya King.

This is sad.

By anon at January 28, 2006 12:50 AM

12.

Did Duane Reade on 86th and Lex used to be a movie theater?

By rebecca at February 3, 2006 3:48 PM

13.

Did Duane Reade on 86th and Lex used to be a movie theater?

By rebecca at February 3, 2006 3:48 PM

14.

Hey all... I have heard that Trader Joes is going to be in union square (or so says their web site) which doesn't make sense considering that there is a Whole Foods there already.

The upper east side NEEDS a good grocery store... key foods just isn't cutting it - jesus who wants moldy grapes wrapped in plastic. I have noticed over the past few months that the retails on the SE corner or 86th and 3rd steadily moved out and I presume that the old building is going to be demolished, thank god, which makes room for a giant condo and retail space fit for whole foods! 86th and lex has empty space, too, on the SE corner but it isn't as big as the space 86th and 3rd would leave. If WF does come up here, I'm kind of fearful of the huge masses of people that would invade the store because let's face it, there are TONS of people who live up here and everyone of them would want to shop at whole foods rather than the ghetto Key Foods or Gristedes.

By upper beast at March 1, 2006 2:36 PM

15.

I live across the street from the proposed spot. Right on 86th St. The south west corner has long since been unoccupied and even the T Mobile relocated down the block. My guess is they're going to tear down the dilopodated and vacant building and make it something. If whole foods is going up anywhere...it's there.

By Sayray at April 30, 2006 12:02 PM