Building permits suggest SoHo Apple Store ready for expansion
Apple's New York SoHo store has a long and storied history. It was the first Apple Store to open in New York City and is housed in an old, distinctively-styled Post Office building.
It has been visited by Steve Jobs himself and has been the host of several high-profile guest appearances by the Coen Brothers and the Jonas Brothers. These appearances attracted so much attention that the store was cited as a bad neighbor by its community.
Though its reputation is large, the square footage of the SoHo store reaches a mere 16,000 square-feet, making it the smallest Apple store in the Big Apple.
A recent building permit issued for work on the SoHo store and a rental agreement for an adjacent property suggests the store may be expanding its retail footprint. The store currently occupies the upper level and a portion of the lower level and basement of 103 Prince Street. A remaining portion of the building is addressed as 124 Greene Street and was home to a Post Office branch until 2009. Now that this spot has been vacated, Apple has reportedly signed a lease for this parcel and is looking to integrate the 5,000-square foot space into its existing SoHo store. This expansion would put the SoHo store on equal footing with the other NYC stores, which average 20,000+ square-feet.
