News

REI announces its first New York location

September 15, 2010

Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), a national retailer providing outdoor gear and clothing, today announced plans to open its first New York City location in the fall of 2011. The Manhattan store will be located in the historic Puck Building at the corner of East Houston and Lafayette in SoHo.

The company has leased approximately 14,000 square feet of prime ground-floor space and 25,000 square feet of below-grade space at the landmarked property owned by Kushner Companies.

The 39,000-square-foot Manhattan store will serve customers on three floors and offer gear and apparel for a variety of outdoor activities, including camping, climbing, cycling, fitness, hiking, paddling, snow sports and travel. The store will also house bike services on two levels — a quick repair concierge and a full-service bike shop.

"REI is delighted to find such a wonderful location to serve our thousands of Manhattan customers who have been shopping with us for years," said Sally Jewell, REI’s president and CEO. "Our new store in the Puck Building will provide a resource to serve New Yorkers, visitors and community groups eager to enjoy the great outdoors from bike paths and urban greenways to wild and scenic destinations around the world."

For more than 70 years, REI has placed an emphasis on making it easy for people to get outside, live healthier lifestyles and take care of natural spaces.

REI also serves as a resource for information on how to enjoy the outdoors and where to go. In addition to classes held in the Manhattan store, REI’s Outdoor School will offer locals a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities ranging from daylong instruction to weekend getaways.

With 2009 sales of $1.46 billion, REI currently operates 112 retail stores nationwide and two online stores, and manufactures its own award-winning REI brand and Novara bike products. The new store will join additional Tri-State region locations in East Hanover, N.J., and Norwalk, Conn., which opens next month. Additional Tri-State store locations are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

"We are thrilled to welcome such a respected, cutting-edge retailer to the Puck Building, which has long been an iconic and defining property in the SoHo marketplace," said Kushner Companies principal Jared Kushner. "REI is a strong company with a tremendous following that offers consumers a truly distinctive shopping experience. That made them an ideal fit for our property."

Built in 1885 and expanded eight years later, the nine-story Puck Building was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1983 and received designation by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission the same year. Among its current tenants are the New York University School of Urban Design and the architecture firm Swanke Hayden Connell.