Urban Outfitters to Open in Manhattan Movie Theatre

Urban Outfitters Inc. (Philadelphia), which is known for finding edgy and unusual spaces for its stores, has signed a lease to open a 15,000-square-foot, three-and-a-half-floor store in New York’s old Metro movie theater, on the city’s Upper West Side.

The 76-year-old building on Broadway and 99th Street is considered an art deco jewel, with 50-foot ceilings and other period details, but has been vacant for a long time. Its most recent cinematic appearance was for a scene in the 1986 movie, “Hannah and Her Sisters.”

The store will open late this year or early next year, Urban Outfitters president Ted Marlow told Women’s Wear Daily. “It’s not the easiest space to work with. That’s why [the opening] is still a year out. We still have some work to do.”

Benjamin Fox, president of Winick Realty Group LLC (Dover, N.J.), which represented the landlord in the 20-year lease deal with the retailer, said “It’s a testament to Urban Outfitter’s strength in the marketplace and to their design approach. There were other spaces of similar size available, but the way they build their interiors is such that they fell in love with this place because of its uniqueness.” The exterior of the building is landmarked but its interior was gutted and its ornate grille work and other detailing were lost.