MTA To Improve Retail Offerings At Busy Midtown Stations: Report

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The Metropolitan Transit Authority is rolling out a new plan to improve retail space at three of the New York City's busiest subway stations in Midtown Manhattan, according to reports.

Commuters who need to grab a bite or a drink while in the subway system are often presented with little choice. Many stations have newsstands, and some feature fast food or dollar slice pizza. In an effort to upgrade the offerings, the MTA is seeking bids for retail leases at stations near Times Square, Rockefeller Center and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the Wall Street Journal first reported.

New businesses favored by the MTA include independently-run stores and restaurants that are higher in quality that the average food spot, MTA officials told the Journal. The leases up for grabs span dozens of retail spaces with more than 16,000 square feet of space between the three stations, according to the report.

The three stations targeted for improvements represent some of the busiest in the subway system. About 100,000 passengers swipe into the Times Square and Port Authority stations every day and 60,000 swipe into the Rockefeller Center station, according to the Wall Street Journal.

New retail businesses awarded leases at the stations may open as early as 2021, MTA officials told the Journal.

Read the full Wall Street Journal article here.