BLOCKBUSTER: Barneys MePa Store Imminent!

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It's Barneys day here on Racked, folks. As if the excitement of this morning's warehouse sale kick-off wasn't enough, we've got a crucial update to earlier rumors of a Barneys Meatpacking District outpost. Our ear planted firmly to the ground, Racked has caught wind of rock solid intel that has the upscale department store thisclose to signing a lease for an outpost on West 13th Street between Ninth Avenue and Washington Street. Anywhere on this block is ideal for Barneys; it's removed from the mainstream madness of West 14th Street, and one tiny little block from the front doors of Andre Balazs' new Standard Hotel, projected to open sometime in 2009. Unknown at present: just which building they're eyeing (we suspect the space above) and how big the store will be. What is known: people are going to FREAK OUT.

Here's the other space we think Barneys might be sweating, at 410 West 13th Street. According to a construction worker on-site, it's going to be a "huge residential tower with retail" that's being shopped around by RFK. If you know more (address? eta?), fill us in: Racked's tipline is wide open.
· Barneys "Opening Soon" In MePa [Racked]
· Breaking RackedWire: Barneys in MePa? [Racked]