It Seems Unlikely That Bloomingdale's Would Come to This Small Financial District Space

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We knew that the owner of 100 Barclay Street wanted to bring "high-end retail" to the ground floor space of the building formerly known as the Verizon Tower that's in close proximity to Brookfield Place — but could the tenant really be Bloomingdale's? That's what Tribeca Citizen heard from "someone with a connection to the building," adding that he/she is "a bit skeptical that this deal is done, developers being developers."

We're skeptical, too, and not just because developers are developers. Previous reports say that space is around 40,000 square feet, which is awfully small for a department store. Bloomingdale's smaller imprint in Soho (remember, they were among the pioneers of establishing a downtown presence, opening on Broadway more than a decade ago) clocks in at 90,000 square feet, while the Saks Fifth Avenue planned for Brookfield Place is similarly sized at 85,000 square feet. Nordstrom is likely hunting for something at least that big — so less than half that size for Bloomingdale's seems improbable.

However, it's possible that department store could be on the hunt for an outlet location, which other big brands are doing in this neighborhood as well (Saks Off Fifth is already planned). Its Upper West Side outlet that's replacing Urban Outfitters, scheduled to open next month, is 25,000 square feet. Bloomingdale's has previously expressed interest in opening a third Manhattan store, but nothing has been confirmed just yet — we'll keep you updated as more information rolls in.