Now that Borders Is Moving Out, Who's Going to Move In?

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

The Penn Station Borders via n0nick/Flickr

Sometime before the end of September, Borders is going to abandon two prime pieces of Manhattan real estate: A 26,000-square-foot space inside the Time Warner Center, and a 24,000-square-foot space at 2 Penn Plaza. The chain only just announced that it was closing, but its New York broker says he's already received serious interest in both locations.

While the broker wouldn't reveal any details, the two stores—one in a mall, one near the mall-like stretch of 34th Street—both seem primed for major national clothing chains. Then again, previous empty big box stores from Borders rival Barnes & Noble have recently been reborn as David Barton gym, Fairway, and Century 21. One retail expert tells The Real Deal that the Time Warner Center probably wouldn't go for a discount retailer, but he's not ruling out other less-glamorous options. "I could see a gussied-up CVS," he said.
· Borders Will Close All Six of Its New York Stores [Racked NY]
· Any Takers for Borders' Manhattan Spaces? [The Real Deal]
· Ten Indie Bookstores that Make Up for the Demise of Borders [Racked NY]