When a Kmart Closes, a Window Opens for Wegmans in Manhattan

Wegmans Food Markets is taking another bite out of The Big Apple with a new store in Manhattan, scheduled to open in the second half of 2023. The new store at Vornado Realty Trust’s 770 Broadway—the former site of the Astor Place Kmart—will mark the second New York City location for the Rochester, N.Y.-based grocer. Wegmans opened its first location in the city in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in October 2019.

“We are so excited to bring Wegmans to Manhattan. This is something we’ve been dreaming about and working toward for a long time,” said Colleen Wegman, president and CEO of Wegmans Food Markets, in a statement. “The community’s response to the opening of our Brooklyn store had an excitement and energy that you can only experience in New York City. You can feel that energy returning to the city, and we are thrilled to be a part of it.”

“We are delighted to be part of bringing the beloved Wegmans to Manhattan,” said Steven Roth, Vornado’s chairman and CEO. “Wegmans is one-of-a-kind and will be a best-in-class addition to Manhattan, both for the local neighborhoods and as a destination for residents from across the island. We look forward to partnering with Wegmans’ talented team on the opening of this signature location.”

Under the terms of the 30-year lease, Wegmans will occupy space on both the street and lower levels of 770 Broadway for a total of about 82,000 square feet. The building is located in the heart of Greenwich Village, at the nexus of downtown residential, retail and office locations, and occupies a full city block between 8th and 9th Streets and Broadway and Fourth Avenue.

A 1.2-million-square-foot landmarked building, 770 Broadway is the historic Wanamaker’s department store that Vornado transformed into one of Manhattan’s premier office and creative hubs catering to some of the world’s best-known technology and media leaders, the company said.

“Wegmans has been a reliable partner in our Brooklyn community since day one, from local hiring of NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) neighbors to feeding first responders at the height of the pandemic,” said Lenny Singletary, chairman of Community Board 2 Brooklyn. “I’m confident Wegmans’ commitment to community will serve their new neighbors in Manhattan well and foster a positive experience.”

Brokered by RIPCO Real Estate LLC, Wegmans signed an agreement with Transformco to buy out Kmart’s lease at Astor Place, entering into a long-term lease with Vornado.

Wegmans is a 106-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and North Carolina.