South Street Seaport Project Plans Gourmet Market

The Howard Hughes Corporation has just released plans to add a rather large specialty grocery store to the soon-to-be-revamped South Street Seaport Pier 17, one that is designed to be reminiscent of Mario Batali’s Eataly.

The scheduled addition is bound to become a quick “go to” place for the city’s foodies who are looking for a spot to fulfill their need for epicurean delicacies. The impending trendy market could reach up to 40,000 square feet and include the input and expertise of a top celebrity chef—for whom they are reportedly still scouting.  

The difference between this specialty market and Eataly is that this new gourmet market will include a more diverse array of culinary products representing a variety of cultures and palettes as opposed to only Italian, which Eataly specializes in and carries exclusively. 

The development group is still awaiting the approval of the city for their proposed 50-story hotel and condo project at the South Street location, which will include 500,000 square feet of commercial space for proposed dining and retail.

South Street Seaport was one of the areas hit hard by superstorm Sandy and still desperately trying to regain some sort of normalcy and shake its “ghost town” image amidst all the damage and destruction. In a press release back in November, South Street Seaport revealed plans to restore its maritime activities with a new marina and add an East River Esplanade, among other things. 

We will see if the city approves the Seaport’s plans, especially the potential hotel and condos, which along with the store would really transform the area.