Westchester residents who shop at Wegmans in Harrison and work in Manhattan soon won”™t have to worry about hurrying home to get to the store so they can do something about their hunger pangs.
The Rochester-based chain of food markets Thursday morning announced plans to open its first Manhattan store. It would be at 770 Broadway, in the building that at one time housed the John Wanamaker Department store.
The building, which is owned by Vornado Realty Trust, has a total of 1.2 million square feet and underwent an extensive restoration that meets standards for LEED Gold certification.
Wegmans said that its store opening would take pace in the second half of 2023. The store would occupy approximately 82,000 square feet.
Wegmans”™ entry into New York City came with the opening of a store in the Brooklyn Navy Yard a few months before its Harrison store opened. It now has 106 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and North Carolina. Wegmans reported having 52,000 employees and 2020 sales of $10.8 billion.
“We are so excited to bring Wegmans to Manhattan. This is something we”™ve been dreaming about and working toward for a long time,” said Colleen Wegman, president and CEO of Wegmans Food Markets. “The community”™s response to the opening of our Brooklyn store had an excitement and energy that you can only experience in New York City. You can feel that energy returning to the city and we are thrilled to be a part of it.”
Wegmans is to be in the building that occupies a full city block between Broadway, 8th and 9th Streets and Fourth Avenue under a 30-year lease. Wegmans signed an agreement to buy out Kmart”™s lease and then went ahead with the long-term lease with Vornado.
Steven Roth, Vornado”™s chairman and CEO, said, “Wegmans is one of a kind and will be a best-in-class addition to Manhattan, both for the local neighborhoods and as a destination for residents from across the island.”
When Wanamaker was in the building, it dedicated some of its space to studios for the then-popular DuMont Television Network. Pioneering TV shows such as “Captain Video” originated at the building. Shoppers were invited to watch the shows as they were being telecast live.
