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After much anticipation and buzz, the Limelight Marketplace will officially open to the public at 2pm this Friday, May 7. After the $20 million renovation (and most likely, a big scrub down), the 20,000 square foot church-turned club-turned mall will finally unveil multiple levels of 60 shops, cafés and food concessions. Limelight Marketplace CEO Jack Menashe tells WWD, "The project is beyond my expectations. The tenant roster is above and beyond."
The Marketplace shops will include Olatz, Selima Optiques, Booksmart and Brocade (a design venture from the creator of West Elm). The marketplace also boasts a series of firsts: the first Havaianas US outpost (offering custom sandals for $25 on weekends) and the first Hunter Boots retail space worldwide (offering not just wellies, but also leather boots and handbags). One entrepreneur, Eli Akiba, was so excited about Limelight, he decided to open not one, but three stores in the space: T Time (a t-shirt shop), Lulu and Lulu Mens.
The second floor will also hold the beauty lines with brands including Caswell-Massey, Om Aroma & Co., Cosmé Proud and Sue Devitt. London's Mayfair-based Avery Perfumes, will open its first US outpost here, too. Expectations for the Limelight Marketplace high—they are expecting to generate revenues of $50 million a year. After the multiple rebirths and its place in 20th Century New York City history, we have high expectations for the space, too.
· Reincarnated Limelight Set for Debut [WWD, subscription req'd]
· Three Fun Facts About Limelight Marketplace [Racked NY]