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The opening of the much-anticipated Apple Store at Grand Central Terminal in New York City, which will become the company’s largest retail venue, is officially scheduled for next week.
A new message on a series of ticker screens featured on the boarded-up storefront announced Apple will be arriving at the highly-trafficked commuter terminal Friday, Dec. 9, according to TheNextWeb.
“Apple Store, Grand Central. Arriving Friday, December 9,”the announcement says.
Previously, many expected the company would open its new store before Black Friday, but construction workers at the location confirmed to Mashable last week that it wouldn’t be ready in time.
“It won’t be any time too soon,” a construction worker at the site said. “We still have a lot to do, so my guess is that it will be ready in December.”
This will be Apple’s first U.S. opening since the departure of Ron Johnson, the former SVP for retail at Apple who helped create its iconic store design with Steve Jobs. Johnson is now the CEO of J.C. Penney.
The Grand Central Apple Store will reportedly cost the company more than $1 million in rent each year to reach the 750,000 people who pass through the venue each day. However, recent reports have indicated that Apple is paying $60 for each square foot, compared to other nearby retailers paying $200 for the same amount of space. A New York Post report also noted Apple will not be sharing revenue with the terminal’s operator Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) since the store will likely bring a high amount of additional consumer traffic to Grand Central.
In response, the state is launching an investigation into whether the MTA is playing favorites with Apple’s lease.
The Grand Central location will be the company’s fifth Apple Store in New York City
