Vornado Seeks Demo Permit for Rizzoli Bookstore Building
By Lauren Elkies Schram May 16, 2014 3:09 pm
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Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) is taking steps to demolish the building that housed the beloved Rizzoli Bookstore as well as a vacant adjacent structure on West 57th Street.
According to Department of Building records, Vornado is seeking permits to demolish 31 West 57th Street as well as 33 West 57th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Vornado and the LeFrak Organization‘s 31 West 57th Street was home to Rizzoli Bookstore for 29 years until last month.
According to an April New York Times article, the building’s owners are planning to also demolish a third adjacent building.
The bookstore shuttered last month despite protestations from politicians, city preservationists and adoring fans. A spokeswoman for the building’s owners told the Times that “current plans do not call for a condominium on the site.”
Vornado and the Lefrak family bought 31 West 57th Street in 2006 for $24.6 million, city records indicate, and Vornado bought 33 West 57th Street for $22.2 million in 2007.
Spokespeople for Vornado didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
