Will they or won't they? It's been rumored for months that Apple will open a fifth New York City Apple Store in Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal. Apple has been tight-lipped, but on Wednesday the New York Times reported that Apple has submitted a proposal to Grand Central's landlord, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which is expected to be approved next week at the MTA's monthly board meeting.
MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan said he "can't comment and can't confirm the reports," but he did say there is an open space in the terminal, and prospective tenants are currently placing bids on the spot. He would not identify any of the possible tenants or say how many had entered bids. Located on the balcony overlooking Grand Central's main hall, the space was occupied by Chef Charlie Palmer's restaurant Métrazur for 11 years.
Citing a "source familiar with the application process," the Times said that when Apple "submitted its bid in linen-lined boxes, as if they were a wedding present to transit officials."
Rumors of a Grand Central Apple Store date back to February . They were squashed the following month, only to surface again in May in the Wall Street Journal.
Apple wouldn't comment on the rumors of a Grand Central store; absent a confirmation of the specific location, there has been strong indication that the company will open an additional store in the Big Apple. An additional store could take some of the stress off Apple's Fifth Avenue location, which is about a mile north of Grand Central. Open 24 hours a day, the Fifth Ave. shop is Apple's smallest NYC store, but it does more business than the city's other three stores combined.
For more, see the "Six Apple Stores to Visit Before You Die" slideshow below.