Wegmans Announces It Will Replace Shuttered Kmart At Astor Place

EAST VILLAGE, NY — Wegmans Food Markets announced Thursday morning that it will open its first store in Manhattan in 2023, replacing the iconic Kmart in the East Village.

It will be the American supermarket chain's second location in New York City, adding to a previously opened store in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

"We're so excited to bring Wegmans to Manhattan," said Colleen Wegman, president and CEO of Wegmans Food Markets, in a news release. "This is something we've been dreaming about and working toward for a long time.

You can feel the energy returning to the city, and we are thrilled to be a part of it."

Wegman's signed a 30-year lease to occupy both the street and lower levels of 770 Broadway, for a total of roughly 82,000 square feet of space.

Start spreading the news: We’re coming to Manhattan in 2023! #WegmansManhattan
Learn more: https://t.co/vcOcIRi9d3 pic.twitter.com/zcZHErxqW2
— Wegmans Food Markets (@Wegmans) July 29, 2021

The Kmart at the same location closed unexpectedly in the second week of July.

The Astor Place location was the last remaining Kmart in Manhattan and had earned a reputation over the years for offering low prices and goods you might not expect to find at a national retailer.

Among its beloved oddities were a third-floor restroom that offered one of the few public options in the neighborhood (it closed in 2018), and an entrance to the store within the 6 train station at Astor Place.

Read More: Lower Manhattanites Mourn Closure Of Iconic Astor Place Kmart