Forget the hype—Amazon not opening store in New York City

New York - Back in the fall, reports were rampant that Amazon would open a physical store in mid-town Manhattan in time for the holiday rush. The online giant had rented space across from the Empire State Building, according to reports, with plans to open a space that would double as a store and mini-depot where select orders could be picked up and returned. But with the holiday season in full-swing, there is no Amazon storefront on West 34th Street—and it doesn’t appear any is likely in the near future.



But at part of the original report was true: Vornado Realty Trust has completed a 17-year lease with Amazon for 470,000-sq.ft. feet at 7 West 34th Street, across the street from the Empire State Building.



“We have leased this building primarily as corporate office space and we intend to sublease to other tenants the ground-floor retail space,” Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Cheeseman told The Seattle Times.



Amazon has no current plans to open its own store in the space, the report said.