Fifth Avenue Apple Store To Reopen In September

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Throngs of technology-obsessed customers will once again line up outside the glass cube entrance of the Fifth Avenue apple store when the business reopens this month after a two-year renovation project, company executives announced Tuesday during the annual "Apple Event."

Apple's flagship New York City store is set to reopen on Sept. 20 to coincide with the release of the new iPhone, the company announced. The renovated store will feature an expanded basement space and more natural light. Apple will also occupy the entire side of the street on Fifth Avenue between East 58th and 59th Street when the store reopens.

"The newly-expanded public plaza is going to be a wonderful place for the community to gather and inside everything's been completely transformed," Apple retail executive Deirdre O'Brien said during Tuesday's event. "We've dramatically increased the height, and we've nearly doubled the size, making it our largest in the world."

The store's glass cube entrance was reinstalled early this month featuring a brand-new rainbow design, the New York Post reported. The new design is temporary and the cube will return to its clear color scheme after reopening.

Renovations were initially planned to wrap up in 2018, but dragged on for another year. Apple set up a temporary store in the nearby General Motors Building — once occupied by toy store FAO Schwarz — during the project.

The Fifth Avenue flagship store is part of Apple's retail transformation from "stores" to "town halls." The new retail spaces will feature more meeting spaces, a revamped technical support area and a "forum" for events and tech classes.