Manhattan Mall

Manhattan Mall was the name used for the retail concourse within 100 West 33rd Street, a major commercial building at Herald Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The property began life as the New York flagship of Gimbels, one of the department-store groups that formed the retail center around Herald Square. Designed by architect Daniel Burnham, the building opened in 1910 and was planned at a scale suited to the era's large urban department stores, with approximately 27 acres of selling space. Its extensive connections to surrounding transit infrastructure, including the Herald Square subway complex and a pedestrian passage beneath 33rd Street, were important elements of its original commercial appeal. Gimbels operated at the site until 1986. After renovation, the building reopened in 1989 with an A&S department store and a retail concourse known as A&S Plaza. The format struggled because customers had difficulty reaching the upper levels, and the property was subsequently repositioned. In 1995, A&S was converted to Stern's and the retail complex adopted the Manhattan Mall name. Stern's itself closed in January 2001 after Federated Department Stores announced the planned closure of its Manhattan location and later discontinued the Stern's chain. The former anchor space was divided among smaller retail users, while the upper floors were converted to offices. The property continued to be used as a mixed retail and office destination rather than a conventional enclosed mall. In 2007, JCPenney announced plans for a 150,000-square-foot anchor store, its first location in Manhattan. Opening in 2009, the store occupied lower levels and required the removal or relocation of several existing retail and food-court tenants. JCPenney closed the location permanently in July 2020 as part of a nationwide store-closure program. By late 2021, Aeropostale had moved into a street-facing space and LensCrafters was reported as the last remaining mall tenant. The concourse subsequently ceased functioning as a normal walk-through shopping mall; access to the remaining retail space became restricted, with LensCrafters available by appointment. As of the reference period in 2022, the former Manhattan Mall concourse primarily functioned as a large lobby serving the office floors above. The building retains a strategically valuable location with direct access toward Sixth Avenue and connections to the 34th Street–Herald Square subway station and the 33rd Street PATH station. Its history illustrates the transformation of a large urban department-store flagship into a mixed-use commercial property, followed by the contraction of its mall function and the prioritization of office use.

100 West 33rd Street was constructed as the Manhattan flagship of Gimbels, a major American department-store chain. Designed by Daniel Burnham, the building opened on September 29, 1910, in the retail district surrounding Herald Square. Its very large selling area and numerous entrances to nearby subway facilities reflected the department-store model of the period, in which central urban locations and convenient transit access were central to commercial success. The building also connected with a pedestrian passage beneath 33rd Street that linked Penn Station with the Herald Square subway and PATH stations. That passage was later closed during the 1990s for security reasons. Gimbels remained the principal occupant until 1986. Following renovation, the property reopened in 1989 as A&S Plaza, anchored by an Abraham & Straus department store. The retail concept was difficult to operate because upper floors were not readily accessible to shoppers, and the building did not perform successfully as a conventional multi-level mall. In 1995, Abraham & Straus was replaced by Stern's, and the retail complex was renamed Manhattan Mall. The name therefore referred primarily to the building's retail concourse rather than to an independent corporation with a separate manufacturing or operating history. Federated Department Stores announced in September 2000 that it would close Stern's Manhattan store. Stern's ceased operations at the site in January 2001, shortly before Federated ended the chain altogether. The former department-store anchor was divided into smaller units, including space for Steve & Barry's, while the food court was relocated. The upper ten levels were converted to office use, beginning the property's long-term transition from a department-store and mall format to a mixed-use office and retail building. Ownership also changed during this period. Venture acquired the building in 1999 and sold it to Vornado Realty Trust in 2006. In April 2007, JCPenney announced plans for a 150,000-square-foot store at the property. Opening on July 31, 2009, it became JCPenney's first Manhattan store. Preparing for the anchor required the closure or displacement of several existing uses, including the food court and retailers such as Steve & Barry's, Brookstone, and Nine West. The location remained an important retail presence because of its position beside Herald Square and its links to subway and PATH infrastructure. The JCPenney store closed permanently on July 7, 2020, as part of the retailer's nationwide restructuring and store-closure program. Retail occupancy continued to contract afterward. In late 2021, Aeropostale moved into a street-facing space formerly occupied by Express, while LensCrafters was identified as the last remaining store within the mall area. The former mall stopped operating as an ordinary public shopping passage, and access to LensCrafters was limited to appointments. By 2022, the area historically known as Manhattan Mall was functioning mainly as a large lobby for the office floors above. The building nevertheless continued to provide direct access toward Sixth Avenue and connections to the 34th Street–Herald Square subway station and the 33rd Street PATH station.

• 2021

  Retail concourse contracts

  [1]100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org

  Aeropostale occupies a street-facing unit, while LensCrafters becomes the last reported mall tenant and public circulation is restricted.

• 2020

  JCPenney closes

  [1]100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org

  The JCPenney anchor shuts permanently on July 7 during the retailer's national store-closure program.

• 2009

  JCPenney opens

  [1]100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org

  JCPenney opens a 150,000-square-foot Manhattan anchor store on July 31.

• 2006

  Vornado Realty Trust acquires the property

  [1]100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org

  Vornado Realty Trust purchases the building from Venture.

• 2001

  Stern's closes

  [1]100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org

  Stern's closes its Manhattan store, and the anchor space is subsequently subdivided.

• 1999

  Venture acquires the building

  [1]100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org

  Venture purchases the property.

• 1995

  Manhattan Mall name adopted

  [1]100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org

  After A&S becomes Stern's, the retail complex is renamed Manhattan Mall.

• 1989

  A&S Plaza opens

  [1]100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org

  The renovated property reopens as A&S Plaza with an Abraham & Straus department-store anchor.

• 1986

  Gimbels closes

  [1]100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org

  Gimbels ends operations at the building after decades as its principal occupant.

• 1910

  Gimbels flagship opens

  [1]100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org

  The Daniel Burnham-designed building opens on September 29 as Gimbels' New York flagship department store.

A centrally located Midtown Manhattan retail and transit-connected commercial property that evolved from a department-store flagship into a mixed-use office and limited-retail building.

• Department store · 1910

  Gimbels department store

  The building's original and historically most significant retail use was Gimbels' New York flagship. It offered a broad department-store assortment from a very large selling floor and used direct transit access as a major customer convenience.

• Shopping mall · 1989

  A&S Plaza

  A&S Plaza was the post-renovation retail format introduced in 1989. It combined an Abraham & Straus department-store anchor with a multi-level mall concourse, but upper-floor access challenges limited the effectiveness of the concept.

• Shopping mall · 1995

  Manhattan Mall retail concourse

  The Manhattan Mall identity was used from 1995 for the retail portion of 100 West 33rd Street. It housed department-store, specialty-retail, food-court, and service tenants while the building's upper floors increasingly shifted to office use.

• Department store · 2009

  JCPenney Manhattan anchor

  JCPenney operated a 150,000-square-foot anchor store on the lower levels. It was the chain's first Manhattan location and opened in 2009 after existing retail and food-court uses were cleared or relocated.

• 2020

  Close the JCPenney anchorStrategy

  Background

  JCPenney entered a nationwide store-reduction program during its broader restructuring.

  Action taken

  The Manhattan store permanently closed on July 7, 2020.

  Aftermath

  The closure further reduced the property's conventional mall activity and contributed to the later predominance of office and limited-retail use.

  Source

• 2007

  Approve a JCPenney anchor storeProduct launch

  Background

  The property sought a substantial replacement anchor after the departure of Stern's and the reconfiguration of the former department-store space.

  Action taken

  JCPenney announced plans for a 150,000-square-foot store, which opened in 2009.

  Aftermath

  Several existing retailers and the food court closed or moved to accommodate the new anchor.

  Source

• 2001

  Subdivide the former Stern's anchorStrategy

  Background

  Stern's closed its Manhattan store after Federated announced the location's closure and later discontinued the chain.

  Action taken

  The former anchor was divided into smaller retail spaces, and the food court was relocated.

  Aftermath

  The upper ten levels were converted to offices, accelerating the building's shift away from a full-scale department-store mall.

  Source

• 1995

  Rebrand the retail complex as Manhattan MallStrategy

  Background

  Abraham & Straus was replaced by Stern's after the property's first post-Gimbels retail format had struggled.

  Action taken

  The retail concourse adopted the Manhattan Mall name while Stern's became the principal department-store anchor.

  Aftermath

  The Manhattan Mall identity remained associated with the retail area until its later contraction and transition toward office-lobby use.

  Source

1. 1100 West 33rd Streeten.wikipedia.org