The Wall Street Journal today talks with some of the longtime employees and patrons and offers up some of Central Art's history.
Inside the drawers of the shop’s back office, assistant manager Christopher Colvin remembers finding pre-World War II architectural drawing tools and compasses, small artifacts of the store’s long history.
Among the many treasures he has found: a pencil set so old and delicate it has begun to disintegrate. It is a token that Mr. Colvin said he bought for himself and will cherish long after he says goodbye to the staff, the store and its loyal patrons for the last time.
On July 11, the Steinberg family, who has run the art supply store for three generations, announced that they would be closing up shop. They cited "poor business conditions" and the pending sale of the building between 10th Street and 11th Street as the primary reasons behind the closure.
Back to today's Journal:
[Family member Doug] Steinberg said the four-story building is in the process of being sold, and that neither the price nor the buyer’s intentions for the property had yet been disclosed.
Doug Steinberg told us last week he did not know why the buyer was, "But I am 99 percent sure it is NOT Lightstone. They actually looked at it and passed. Whoever is buying it is — as far as we know — unrelated to the hotel mania around the corner."
Steinberg also told us (and DNAinfo) that they are trying to find a new home for what's left of their inventory and paper collection.