The retail space at Arabella 101, the rental building that sits atop the new Lower Eastside Girls Club on Avenue D between Seventh Street and Eighth Street, remains empty.
However, word is that The Dermot Company, developer and manager of the 12-story residential building, is in discussions to bring 7-Eleven to one of the available spaces.
According to a retail listing at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, there is 5,000 square feet available.
The listing shows that "ideal uses" include "quick-serve restaurants, discount retailers, medical, pharmacy, laundromats and salons."
We hear that the Girls Club and some members of the Avenue D community are concerned — they thought that they had a solid agreement with the Dermot Company not to bring fast-food and chain stores into the building.
Meanwhile, at East 11th Street and Avenue A, members of the community and the No 7-Eleven group continue to hold weekly "No 7-Eleven" rallies outside the store that opened last October.
Arabella 101 began leasing in July 2012.
Updated 12:10 p.m.
A representative for The Dermot Company contacted us, stating "the deal is not moving forward with 7-Eleven."
Also, according to the Dermont spokesperson, the condo documents prevent them from leasing to national fast-food chains ... (other types of chain retain are apparently OK) ... The spokesperson also acknowledged the restriction that they are not permitted to seek stores/retailers who sell alcohol for off-site consumption.
14 comments:
It's hard to believe that anyone at the Girl's Club would oppose chain stores in the building, any more than the Boys Club opposes the 7-Eleven down the block from them. This is not their issue.
I know better than to respond to shmnyc's customary troll comments.
The Girls Club developed the building in conjunction with Dermont, who agreed NOT to bring chain stores into these retail spaces.
Now they are breaking that agreement. How are there any similarities between this situation and the Boys Club?
None. Thank you.
The Girls Club developed the building in conjunction with Dermot, in that they worked together to create a space that worked best for them, not in regard to the rental of apartments or stores. There is nothing trolling about this.
7-11 sells beer, cigarettes, condoms and lottery tickets, now I wonder why would the Girls Club object to that'?
As an Avenue D resident, I'd say that unless 7-11 is planning to sell loosies, this is probably a losing proposition for them.
My guess is the people that run the Girls Club would prefer the girls not have access to junk snacks coming and going. As for 7-11, I think we are witness to corporate American pride in action. Seeding 7-11 stores in smaller neighborhoods with little foot traffic is not working out the Texas company. There will either silence or some snarky press release coming from corporate HQ in a few years regarding its failure to "take Manhattan" the way Starbucks and Chipolte unfortunately have.
The LES Girls Club didn't have to take the Bloombergian route. They chose to. Organizations do affordable housing all the time. It is more than possible.
As a resident of Arabella the retail space has gone undeveloped since the building opened given its Ave D commercial options are limited for Ave D better a franchise like 7-11 then 99 cent pizza a Duane Reade would work considering Rite Aide is closing with development of its space soon. The Girls club entrances are on 8th street and 7th apartment tenants enter on Ave D so where is their vested interest in this?
Very happy to hear the deal is not moving forward. What was 7-Eleven thinking? We have the First Lady working with Coca Cola to get sugary drinks and junk food out of schools, and these people want to open a junk food superstore under a Girls Club? Really?
7-11 sells beer?
Almost every 7-11 I have ever been in sells wine. So I'm guessing that many of them sell beer as well.
Anonymous 1:39, The people who oppose 7-Eleven also opposed the law capping drink sizes at 16oz.
shmnyc: For our collective sake, please stop.
7-eleven. well. there goes the neighborhood.
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