A new tenant coming to 550 Vanderbilt: Prospect Heights Eastern Spa. Still, railyard-adjacent retail space remains at 550 Vanderbilt and at nearby 535 Carlton.

View south from Vanderbilt Ave.; Beer Street
 South at corner, retail space at right past car

Last April, I wrote (link) that retail space at 550 Vanderbilt (aka B11) once used as a construction field office and community liaison office was finally up for rent, after Greenland Forest City Partners, which built the tower, had finally sold the three retail condos--one subdivided--at the base of the building.

I had suggested that that 2400-square-foot space might not be easy to rent, given that there's relatively little foot traffic west on that stump of demapped Pacific Street.

(If and when the adjacent railyard is developed and the open space complete, it would become prime property.)

Well, new signage indicates that part of the space--that closest to Vanderbilt Avenue--will by June become the new home of Prospect Heights Eastern Spa, a body work and foot reflexology spa long operated down Vanderbilt Avenue. 

It'll be a spa. Photos: Norman Oder

Yelp reviews describe it as a "no frills," so it's clearly less upscale than, say Van Leeuwen ice cream and the Ciao Glora cafe around the corner. 

The asking rent--likely not achieved--for the latter space was $125/square foot. The Pacific Street space was being marketed at $65/sf. 

Still space available

The remaining space, located further west along Pacific Street, is still up for rent, as indicated by the sign in the photo below. (See full floor plan here.)

The borders the open space between 550 Vanderbilt and the East Tower of 595 Dean, so it might appeal more to existing residents.  Either way, it will be a challenge for such retail outlets if and when construction at the railyard starts.

This segment is still available

Open space map

Arrow points to 550 Vanderbilt retail along Pacific Street. 535 Carlton is three buildings to the west.

 

At 535 Carlton

Last May, I reported that, at the 535 Carlton (B14) tower, one small retail space remains, 689 square feet, fr now, it's flanked by both a pedestrian path and a construction fence. A recent listing cites proximity to transit and a rapidly growing area, "making it an ideal location for retailers looking to serve this expanding neighborhood."

Screenshot from Verada retail

Except, well, for the construction.

The image at right, from a retail broker, shows not just the corner with the retail space but the 595 Dean West Tower in the background.

Yes, there are a lot of potential customers.

However, as the photo below shows, there's a construction fence. demapped Pacific Street and the MTA's Vanderbilt Yard. 

Any retailer--and the contract they would negotiate--would have to factor that in.

Looking east and south at 535 Carlton