This Coffee Shop-Bank Hybrid Is What's Finally Replacing Shoe Mania

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It's not often that we're writing about a bank branch opening up in New York—because, in other news, the sky is blue. But when that bank branch is also a coffee shop that's taking over a beloved shoe store that abruptly exited nearly three years ago and has left a high-profile corner largely empty since, we take note. Crain's New York reports that a Capital One Café—a branch of the bank that will also include a public coffee bar and seating—is headed to Shoe Mania's former Union Square home at 853 Broadway.

The fate of that address has mostly been up in the air since the summer of 2012. The building initially faced a glassy makeover that was later thought to be in preparation for an H&M store, which the brand eventually abandoned. Since then, M.A.C took a chunk of that address, breaking rent records for Union Square.

There isn't a projected opening date for the location that'll serve Peet's coffee and include things like mobile tellers equipped with iPads and a classroom space in the basement. Capital One operates a similar concept in Midtown and a half-dozen other locations around the country. The bank is reportedly looking to replicate this Union Square hybrid down on 300 Lafayette Street in the coming months, where a glassy tower will rise above what's currently a gas station.