Unusual underground marketplace opens in NYC subway station
A major Manhattan subway station concourse that had been closed since 2009 has been transformed into a lively shopping and dining destination.
TurnStyle, an underground marketplace inside the Columbus Circle 59th Street subway, is now open to the public.
Financing for the project was provided by Goldman Sachs, through its Urban Investment Group.
The 30,000-sq.-ft. $14.5 million project, located within a completely renovated 325-ft.-long passageway, features 39 retail and food vendors including 12 boutique shops, 20 gourmet eateries, and a series of pop-up vendor kiosks offering everything from hats to flowers, dumplings to doughnuts, cell phone cases to sunglasses, and much more in between.
"We bring choice, convenience and modern, clean design to the 90,000 daily commuters who use this Midtown hub," said Susan Fine, TurnStyle's developer and principal of OasesRE. "TurnStyle is leading the movement to make urban public space more dynamic and engaging.”
TurnStyle vendors include three organic restaurants, gift and novelty shops, grab n' go food options, and even an internet startup experimenting with brick-and-mortar. The tenant lineup includes:
• Grab n' Go: Blossom du Jour, By Suzette, Doughnuttery, Dylan's Candy Bar, Fika Espresso, Georgia's Bakery, Pressed Juicery, Starbucks, The Nut Box, Gastronomie
• Shop: Flower Girl, Dog &Co, Arth Hats, Kit's Underground Wine & Spirits, Lush, Papyrus, Specs New York, Spectre & Co., Studio Manhattan, Cellairis, Project No. 8, The New Stand, Bombas, Marc Tetro, R. Nichols, Elma Blint, SDV Designs
• Sample and Dine: The Pizza, Bosie Tea Parlor, Ellary's Greens, Casa Toscana, Bolivian Llama Party, MeltKraft, Semsom Eatery, 2 Beans, and Yong Kang Street
Sixteen interactive digital screens provided by Outfront Media Inc. will feature curated information from TurnStyle's vendors.
"Last year, more than 23 million people used this station,” said New York City Transit President Veronique "Ronnie" Hakim.” It is heavy traffic for the lucky businesses opening up shop here today and it is great for our customers because we can reinvest this corridor's rental revenues right back into our system."
TurnStyle breaks ground as the MTA's first commercial development funded completely by the private sector without any public subsidy. Fine and the Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group led the financing team for the project, which establishes a new model for retail development for the nation's largest transit system. Goldman Sachs made an $8.7 million construction loan and a $3.6 million equity investment in the TurnStyle project.
Project architects Architecture Outfit brought "Main Street underground" by incorporating street-level urban elements such as varying store front depths, diversity of tenants, and a patterned floor that mimics a town square. They replaced old subway tile, signs and fixtures with engaging features including a mosaic wall and interactive digital columns.