Union Square Pavilion Update

The Villager reports:

This year has witnessed many milestones in the ongoing renaissance of the Union Square district. While New York City and the nation struggle to break free from this recession, Union Square stands as a rare bright spot and is poised to remain a vibrant neighborhood during these worrisome times.  

The arrival of more than a dozen new businesses plunged the district’s retail vacancy rate below 4 percent, making Union Square among the most viable business locales in the city. Retailers lululemon athletica, Skechers, Muji and 7 for all Mankind, as well as new eateries Pret a Manger, Crumbs, Lillie’s, Cantina Latina and Momofuku Milk Bar, helped to strengthen the broad base of offerings in the area. 

And while the departure of Circuit City and the Virgin Megastore was a temporary cause for concern, we couldn’t be more pleased that Best Buy chose to open its first 24-hour store in the nation in the former Circuit City space this month, and that next spring, the city’s first Nordstrom Rack will open in the lower level of the Virgin location. Our partners at The Related Companies are to be congratulated for moving so quickly to fill our district’s most visible retail space.  

The north-end project in Union Square Park, now more than 90 percent complete, has been eagerly followed by park lovers and community stakeholders. This is why we are very pleased to announce that the community’s new and expanded 15,000-square-foot playground is set to open this month. In addition, pedestrians can now walk the repaved 16th St. transverse complete with new park benches. The western, northern and eastern plazas, which had been resurfaced and reopened earlier this year, have been well received by visitors and Greenmarket vendors alike, with a new row of 25-foot-tall Japanese pagoda trees lining 17th St. and Union Square West. Additional features of the renovation include the rehabilitated pavilion and additional restroom facilities, which should be completed by the end of the year.  

The Partnership’s ongoing beautification efforts, combined with the district’s engaging and vibrant lifestyle, continue to attract people from across the city to our area for a variety of reasons. We once again made a series of targeted investments for the upgrading, maintenance and beautification of the park. The high points of this season’s efforts include the expansion of the stone screening area of the center lawn by 2,500 square feet to accommodate additional bistro tables and chairs, as well as the expansion of many of the planting beds throughout the park. The Partnership also funded improvements to the dog run, including a new gravel surface and much-needed repairs to the dog run entrance walkway, which had been flooding after heavy rain. 

Partnership-sponsored programming was a big draw this year, especially our free Summer in the Square series, which once again proved to be a hit with children and adults alike, featuring fitness classes, kids’ programming and multiple musical performances. We expanded our selection of volunteer events from the biannual It’s My Park! Day, to preparing food for those in need with God’s Love We Deliver, to collecting food from Greenmarket vendors at the end of a busy day for City Harvest. One of the most anticipated occasions in the Union Square district every year is the annual Harvest in the Square, the city’s premier food-tasting event. This year more than 50 restaurants and beverage companies served signature dishes and cocktails to over 1,000 foodies. These events are all great ways for active residents and employees to come out and give back to their community while getting to know their neighbors.  

Union Square continues to be among the cleanest districts in the city, which is crucial to its overall success. Our Sanitation Team has worked thousands of hours sweeping sidewalks and removing tons of garbage to ensure the area is inviting. With a 59 percent increase in foot traffic over the last five years in the neighborhood, more trash receptacles were added, including Big Belly Solar compactors, which reduce our carbon footprint by decreasing the number of garbage bags used and lessening the number of vehicular pickups.  

Another important factor to Union Square’s vitality is the Greenmarket. As New York City’s largest and most famous greenmarket, the year-round, open-air market attracts shoppers from around the region looking to support their local farmers. 

Union Square’s rich history is relived every week during the Partnership’s Crossroads of New York walking tour, which draws a diverse group each Saturday for a free, 90-minute exploration of the social and political history of the neighborhood through discussions of the people, architecture and forces that have shaped the community. 

While the past year has been eventful for the Union Square district, there is more to look forward to in the upcoming months, especially the annual Holiday Market operated by Urban Space Management, which returns to the south plaza on Nov. 25 and runs through Christmas Eve. Don’t forget to stop by the Holiday Market’s information booth and pick up your restaurant coupon flier good for discounts at 22 local eateries 

The Union Square Partnership team, including our board of directors, Residential Advisory Committee members, business partners and staff, work hard to make sure that Union Square remains a flourishing community. To follow the district’s progress, learn more about our work and sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us at www.unionsquarenyc.org .

Farewell soon to Benny’s Laundry on 13th St., just the latest small business to fall to rapidly rising rents. Sigh.

Union Square’s Competitive Edge

Exemplifying a “15-minute neighborhood,” Union Square offers a wealth of local amenities including dining, shopping, culture, entertainment, and healthcare, all within walking distance or a short bike-ride. A true mixed-use neighborhood, Union Square’s residents, offices, retail, and institutions help sustain a vibrant public realm, with recent visitor traffic reaching 98% of 2019 levels. Office leasing remains active, with over 450K sf of office space leased since January 2022 across tech, finance, publishing, and other sectors.

Union Square’s 126 new businesses are comprised of 54% eateries, 28% retail, and 18% neighborhood services such as health and wellness. USP and creative partners work year-round to bring unique cultural, food, and art experiences to the square. Events like the eight-week Summer in the Square series, Urbanspace’s Holiday Market, and seasonal pop-ups draw foot traffic and support local business and arts communities.

Union Square’s Rich Mix of Commercial Businesses

Union Square-14th Street is home to high-profile institutions and headquarters across a range of sectors including technology, media, finance, and design. This rich mix of commercial tenants continues to be a major draw. Additionally, Union Square is center of gravity for live entertainment, arts, and culture. According to the data platform Replica, spending on entertainment doubled between 2019 and 2023 and visits in the district rose by 10% between 2022 and 2023, reaching a high of 98% compared to August 2019, a 10% higher average than Midtown Manhattan.

“Industry leaders like Microsoft, Sequoia Capital, and Wellington Management are choosing Union Square for their newest offices. Coupled with strong leasing activity at the ground floor, these new tenancies demonstrate the area’s appeal across sectors,” says Julie Stein, Executive Director, Union Square Partnership. “National retailers including Parachute, Crate & Barrel and Target are joining local favorites ABC Carpet, Fishs Eddy and Design Within Reach to solidify Union Square as a retail destination for interior design and home essentials.”

USQ Thrives as a Job Center

Union Square is a job center with 144K+ workers across sectors. Top employers include Con Edison, Mount Sinai Downtown, New York University, and The New School. In the coming year, the addition of national brands, and new and renovated hotels in the area will bring additional retail and hospitality job opportunities. This summer, Microsoft moved into its new 150K sf office space at 122 Fifth Avenue. The building’s ground floor is nearly fully leased with prominent brands Allbirds, Parachute, and Pandora, and Levain Bakery planning to open in early 2024.

Zero Irving (124 East 14th Street) has made headlines for leasing nearly 100% of its office space to major tech and finance firms including GameChanger (25K sf) and Sequoia Capital (13K sf). Additionally, the 10K sf Urbanspace food hall introduced 13 vendors to the 14th Street food scene. Over 65K sf of retail space has been leased since January 2022 to national brands, such as Petco’s 30k sf flagship location on Union Square East, and NYC favorites such as Hex & Co board game café, Sweet Chick, and Kazunori.

“Because we’re located in the heart of the NYC tech community, Civic Hall @ Union Square’s six floors of state-of-the-art training and conference center space at the new Zero Irving building will drive sustainable pathways to high-tech jobs. Civic Hall will help supply the tech workforce and spur innovation for industry leaders, the community, the City of New York, and beyond.” Seema Shah, Executive Director, Civic Hall

New and Coming Soon’

Looking ahead into the Fall, we are excited to welcome Upright Citizens Brigade, Crate & Barrel, Saatva, Mission Ceviche, and many more businesses to the neighborhood.

• FÖRENA, a 50-unit luxury condominium development at 540 Sixth Avenue featuring 6K SF of new retail space for lease, finished construction in July 2023.

• NYU is relocating the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service to 105 East 17th Street in Fall 2024, bringing over 860 students and over 200 faculty to Union Square.

• Target will open a 33K SF store at 10 Union Square East, establishing over 75 new jobs and creating a retail anchor and local amenity for 14th Street.

They pretended like they would be back, but vegan-friendly Blossom du Jour on our block of 13th St. is done.

The annual shareholder’s meeting will take place on Wednesday June 30th at 7PM at the Seafarers’ and Interational House at 123 East 15th St, second floor.

At the meeting, the Board of Directors will be seeking at least one new member. If you wish to become a candidate for the Board and have your name placed on the ballot, please feel free to provide a short biography of yourself via fax (212) 986-0002 or e-mail to ymartinez@akam.com. The Board will also welcome nominations at the meeting itself.

Pizzazz Pizza

Pizzazz Pizza offers a new twist on the Neapolitan pizza classic. Their personal pies to go are made fresh and are the perfect thing to pick up for a picnic, dinner, or to fulfill your pizza cravings. Keep an eye out for their grand opening coming soon!