Shakespeare & Co. Booksellers' space at 716 Broadway near Astor Place in Manhattan has been listed for rent by Massey Knakal Realty Services, the Commercial Observer reported, adding that the "owners declined to comment on their current rent or the shop's future." Although the online listing does not include a price, listing agent Brendan Gotch said the location's rent will be $50,000 a month for a 3,000-square-foot retail space on the first floor and 2,000-square-foot basement.
Gotch added that while he and the landlord are sad to see Shakespeare & Co. leave, "that part of Broadway has changed. Their lease has expired and they're staying on briefly until the landlord acquires a new tenant. The fact of the matter is that along with many bookstores, they are having trouble paying rents that were affordable 10 years ago when they signed these leases."
Shakespeare & Co. has two other locations: on Manhattan's Upper East Side and in Brooklyn, near Brooklyn College.
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In other bad news for NYC bookstores, yesterday the Landmarks Preservation Commission "shot down a last-ditch effort" to save from demolition the historic building that has housed Rizzoli Bookstore, which is set to close today, DNAInfo reported. In a statement, the LPC said the interior of the building at 31 W. 57th St. "did not qualify for protection because its design dates back only to 1985, when chandeliers, bookshelves, cabinetry and flooring were installed as part of an overhaul to turn the former Sohmer Piano showroom into a bookstore."
On Facebook last night, Jeremiah's Vanishing New York posted: "Rizzoli is a mob scene. The interior landmarking was denied this morning, and everyone is making the pilgrimage, taking photos, buying books at 40% off. They say they might be moving to the Flatiron area, but it's goodbye to that beautiful building. A sin."