ESPN Zone is Gone Who is Going to Fill the Space?

So there is a corner of Times Square which has been occupied as long as I can remember, 1998 as a point of fact; with the sports themed bar and restaurant named after the sports channel of record, ESPN. The ESPN Zone always did a pretty good job in getting the jocks visiting Manhattan to come out and drool over their huge plasma screened TV's. While they were there drooling, the ESPN Zone would do their best to make sure that they stayed hydrated from overpriced beer and other spirits.

ESPN Zone is as much a victim to the recession as anyone else. While people still get their ESPN fix; it's now no longer bar side as it is done from behind their microwave dinners on their own epic flat screen TV screens.

ESPN Zone was a pretty impressive space; at four floors of dining and sports watching, when the place was vacated over a year ago, it left a pretty big void.

But that was in 2010. So now the answer is what is going to be taking its place? I happened by the space the other day and their motivational message to get retailers to open their wallets is less than convincing. Inside the epic space there are two pieces of 4x6 poster board set up with one talking about everything in Times Square (! - cause you know, the people coming in here and spending this kind of money haven't already done their own homework) and another with a jimmied up light tower with some anonymous looking store on it; all lit up, by the way; that says in big bold lettering:

"NO BETTER FLAGSHIP RETAIL STORE ON EARTH."

That's it.

Yeah there's some ladders set up and some track lighting and other miscellaneous shop stuff, but their convincing argument for someone dropping untold amounts of money on a Times Square retail presence is the address itself.

Granted having that address gets you a built, ever revolving, constantly renewed source of foot and eye traffic but you have to be selling something that the people want; something they can't get anywhere else.

Yes the space could go to The Gap or some other horrible clothing retailer (Hollister seems to be drawing crowds on 57^th Street) but the problem with that is the people shopping in Times Square know they can go home to the suburbs and get the same merchandise there. usually for a lot less money! Customers know they could even go to these Tanger Outlets which have popped up everywhere.

So who will take up residence at this now vacant corner of Times Square? I guess we'll see...

ESPN Zone left a hole at 1472 Broadway.

Source:

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-06-09/news/27066699_1_espn-zone-tourist-trap-24-hour-sports-network