Rendering of Grand Central Apple Store [Updated at 4.50 p.m. with information on the store’s construction] The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has quietly
released the renderings of the new Apple Store planned for Grand
Central Terminal, on the agency’s website. The images (see above and below) show what the 23,000-square-foot
property on the terminal’s east balcony could look like. The MTA’s
finance committee approved the deal for Apple to lease the property at
the end of July. Apple is taking over the space from Charlie Palmer’s
Metrazur restaurant, and will be paying significantly higher rent: $1.1 million compared to $263,997. Apple
will also be making improvements to part of the leased property at its
own cost, including the installation of an elevator.
Walking through Grand Central late on Saturday night,The Real Deal spotted that construction on the store has begun (photos are available on our Facebook page). Workmen seemed to be removing the furnishings — mostly tables and chairs — from the former Métrazur space and erecting scaffolding. The construction manager declined any further access to the site.
The MTA had also approved a lease to Shake Shack in the dining concourse.The Wall Street Journal had previously published the renderings, but the New York Times noted in a recent editorial that the images had
not been officially released by the MTA or by Apple. They had only
been briefly visible during the webcast of the MTA’s board meeting. The Times piece expressed some concern about how
the Apple Store might fit on the balconies of the landmarked Grand
Central station. — Miranda Neubauer and Katherine Clarke
Rendering of Grand Central Apple Store