A Gigantic "Big-Box Retailer" Could Be Coming to the Hudson River's Pier 40

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Could a huge big-box retailer end up on the Hudson River? According to Crain's New York, real estate development companies Westbrook Partners and Atlas Capital Group are looking to add five buildings at St. John's Terminal along the Hudson River waterfront in a plan that would save the crumbling Pier 40 — and maybe bring along a massive store, too.

In one version of the plan, a single store would take up 255,000 square feet of the proposed project, with room left over for 412 parking spaces. Another version allows for a smaller (but still pretty giant) store that would measure 160,000 square feet, leaving space for 886 parking spots.

At the moment, whether either of these plans will actually come to fruition is still up in the air. "We have not made any decisions about the possibility of including a big-box retailer, mostly-below grade [underground], if rezoning is approved," a spokesperson for both development companies said in a statement related to the site. They're waiting to get the green light from City Council and the Department of City Planning before any major decisions came be made — and before brokers can start marketing that store.

Does anyone else think this is the perfect spot for a Manhattan Ikea?