[Behold, answers to Tuesday's development questions, all cleaned up and ready to go. Got more questions, or better answers. Drop a note in the comments below or email us at tips@curbed.com. We'll play again next week.]
1) Gramercy: Brace yourselves. The closing of Blockbuster on 15th and 3rd was not an isolated incident. Says one commenter, "The Blockbuster up the road on 3rd between 25 and 26 closed about 6 months ago, and the one closing now is the 'convenient' location they tried sending customers to. I guess everyone is figuring out they never have anything good in stock and charge too much." Meanwhile, an emailer says the rents are rising all over the nabe and the B'buster on 15th is making way for one of them flush banks. Finally, there's this shocking twist from a commenter: "I overheard a blockbuster employee at a UWS location telling a customer that they were moving out of bigger storefronts to smaller storefronts, keeping less stock on premises in order to try to expand online ordering ala netflix." What will they think of next?
2) Midtown East: Our source says that the store between 58th and 59th on Third, next to Home Depot is on the market, not rented. "5,000 SF give or take, $1.5MM per annum." Anybody wanna pick up some tools and two-by-fours and build something nice in the interim?
3) Upper West Side (redux): Our querier's request for outrage over the tower rising above the Equinox on Amsterdam and 77th elicited a couple of wimpers about the closing of the billiard hall upstairs. Otherwise, it's full steam ahead. To wit: "I don't think you're going to see too many UWSiders getting riled up about this. There are 30-story apartment buildings all over the UWS and we could actually use some more apartments in this neighborhood which has actually seen very little new apartment construction until the building above symphony space on 94th was built around 3 years ago. Now we've got the two Ariel buildings on 99th (East rising, above) and the new building on 93rd all under construction. But there's been almost no new construction in the 70's and 80's for a long time now. So we're due..."
4) Upper East Side: What's going into the former Rain space at 3rd and 63rd? Wouldn't you know it, somebody already had some "press" "copy" ready for us: "Really Cool Foods, NYC's answer to restaurant and 'take-out' fatigue, will soon open on Third Avenue at 63rd St. Really Cool Food will sell only fresh, organic food and will feature 'components,' already peeled, chopped, browned, and otherwise prepared elements of an infinite number of recipes which the customer then prepares at home in 20 minutes or less. The store will also have ready to take home, heat and eat meals. A knowledgable and helpful staff will guide new customers through the process."
5) Nolita: As noted previously, the shuttered deli on Mulberry and Houston will be swallowed by a very tall building.
· Rumblings & Bumblings: Retail Edition [Curbed]