Sigh. Oh, the sadly inevitable. Surely, for those who don't live there, anyone who's ever visited New York has at least walked past the Times Square Virgin Megastore. It's where I bought Robyn's latest CD on import in November, and was always one of the retailers I hit up on trips to NYC.
Alas, Reuters reports that Vornado Realty Trust plans to close the music outlet in early 2009:
...Vornado plans to close the Virgin Megastore in the first quarter of 2009, said Sandeep Mathrani, Vornado's executive vice president and head of its Retail Real Estate Division.Sounds like the Virgin at Union Square is probably not too far behind. You may recall a glum D'luv making this video in January the week the Sunset Blvd. Virgin here in L.A. closed after 12 years:Vornado and Related Cos bought Virgin Megastores North America last year. "We bought the Virgin business to wind it down to get a hold of the real estate," Mathrani said.
Virgin pays only a $54 per square foot when the market rent in the area is about $700, Mathrani said.
ALSO SEE:
* R.I.P. Virgin Megastore, Los Angeles
* New York Afternoon